Air India Flight 171 Crash: Pilot Deliberately Cut Fuel Switch, Report Reveals

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Investigators probing last year's crash of Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad have concluded that the disaster that killed 260 people happened not because of a technical defect, but was an“intentional act” by the pilot in command.

The report, published on Thursday in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, said Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command, allegedly turned off the fuel switches – that is“almost certainly” an intentional act. The paper cited Western aviation agency sources.

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The Indian civil aviation ministry and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), however, have yet to respond to media requests for comments on the claims.

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The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on June 12, 2025, shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people, including 241 of the 242 on board the aircraft and 19 on the ground. The aircraft crashed into a medical student hostel.

The preliminary report of the AAIB mentioned that one pilot asked the other in the cockpit why he had cut off the fuel.“I did not do so,” was the response from the other pilot. The paper said that Capt Sabharwal, the main suspect, had been suffering from depression a month before the disaster.

The Italian publication said Indian investigators have agreed with American experts that the crash did not happen due to mechanical failure, but was a deliberate action.

When similar reports leaked a few months ago, citing the AAIB's preliminary findings that blamed one of the pilots, there were protests from pilots' associations in India. Sabharwal's father also rejected the charges about his son's mental health and demanded a fresh probe.

Reports have also cited a preliminary technical assessment based on black box data, which ruled out mechanical failure and referred to manual movement of switches relating to engine ignition and shutdown. Both engines were found to have been switched off at the time of the crash.

The Italian paper cited anonymous sources as saying the conclusion will undergo a political evaluation, and a more cautious version would be adapted to avoid controversies.

Meanwhile, another news report claimed that Air India has offered cash settlements to families of the victims of the crash on condition that they do not initiate legal action against the airline and the aircraft manufacturer.

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