Initial investigation into the Air India accident reveals that pilot Sumeet Sabharwal deliberately shut off the fuel supply. This has also been confirmed by cockpit recordings. Awaiting the final report is essential.
Air India Crash: A shocking revelation has emerged regarding the recent Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. According to the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the main cause of the accident may have been pilot error. The report indicates that the aircraft's fuel switches suddenly moved from the 'RUN' to the 'CUTOFF' position, causing both engines to shut down.
Wall Street Journal Report Unveils New Aspects
In its report on the accident, the American newspaper 'The Wall Street Journal' has claimed that First Officer Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, himself shut off the fuel supply. This claim is based on cockpit voice recordings. The recording clearly captured co-pilot Clive Kunder expressing surprise when the fuel switch was turned off and asking in panic – “Why did you put the fuel switch in the CUTOFF position?”
Dialogue Cleared in Voice Recording
According to the report, Clive Kunder's voice sounded panicked, while Captain Sumeet appeared calm. Sumeet Sabharwal was a senior Air India pilot with 15,638 hours of flight experience, while co-pilot Clive Kunder had 3,403 hours of experience. This recording has brought a new twist to the technical aspects of the accident.
AAIB's Preliminary Report
The initial investigation report issued by the AAIB on July 12 stated that the fuel switches had automatically moved from the RUN to the CUTOFF position, causing both engines to shut down. This incident occurred shortly after takeoff. After the accident, the plane attempted an emergency landing but could not maintain control.
Pilot Union Expresses Concern
The International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations, along with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has also expressed concern about this Air India plane crash. They stated that directly blaming the pilot based on the preliminary report would be premature. They also emphasized that no concrete conclusions should be drawn before the final report is released.
Government's Reaction
The Government of India has also reacted to this report. Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said that this is only a preliminary report and no conclusion should be reached until the final conclusions are available. He said – “Our pilots and crew are among the best resources in the world and we take full care of their well-being. We have faith in their dedication.”
Why Shutting off Fuel Supply is a Serious Matter
The sudden shutdown of fuel supply during a flight is considered a very serious technical error. Usually, in such a situation, the entire crew has to follow emergency protocols. The consent of both pilots is necessary before changing any switch in the cockpit. But in this case, the report states that the fuel switch was CUTOFF without prior consent. This is considered the root cause of the accident.
What Safety Procedures Say
Modern aircraft like the Boeing 787 are equipped with automated systems that immediately track any malfunction or human error. After this incident, the plane attempted an emergency landing, but the plane crashed because both engines had shut down. According to safety standards, such a lapse is considered extremely serious.
