Air India 787 crash: captain likely cut fuel supply mid-air, says U.S. review
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A new report suggests that the Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad may have been triggered by the captain unintentionally switching off the fuel supply to both engines shortly after take-off.
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources familiar with an early U.S. analysis of black-box recordings, reports that cockpit audio reveals a senior pilot possibly moved both fuel control switches to the “cutoff” position, resulting in a fatal loss of thrust.
The June 12 crash of the Boeing 787-8 occurred just 32 seconds after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 passengers and crew, along with 19 people on the ground.
According to the report, the first officer, who was in control of the aircraft during take-off, appeared confused and alarmed when the captain moved the fuel switches.
The cockpit voice recording captured one of the pilots asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I didn’t.”
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India confirmed this exchange but did not attribute the lines to either pilot in their preliminary report.
However, U.S. officials and aviation experts reviewing the AAIB’s findings told The Wall Street Journal that evidence increasingly points to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a veteran pilot, as the one who cut off the fuel. The first officer, Clive Kunder, was in his early 30s and was flying the aircraft at the time.
Experts cited by the journal noted that the captain, acting as the monitoring pilot, would have been more likely to operate the fuel switches, while the first officer was likely focused on the climb-out procedures. They described the captain as remaining composed during the confusion, while the first officer appeared surprised and panicked.
The AAIB had earlier confirmed in a 15-page report that both fuel control switches had moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” seconds after take-off, but did not determine who was responsible or suggest whether the action was intentional.
Air India declined to comment on the latest findings, stating that it cannot make statements on ongoing investigations. Previously, the airline had expressed similar reservations about commenting on media reports related to the crash.
