Emerging evidence from the Air India crash investigation has redirected attention toward the flight's captain, who appears to have shut off critical fuel flow systems during takeoff. The Wall Street Journal reported that black-box recordings and preliminary findings indicate the senior pilot, not the first officer, manipulated the fuel control switches.
Cockpit voice recordings obtained by investigators reveal that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal turned off switches controlling fuel delivery to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's engines, according to individuals familiar with US officials' initial evaluation of crash evidence. The Wall Street Journal reported that the first officer, who was piloting the aircraft, questioned why the captain moved the switches to the "cutoff" position after the plane departed the runway.
The first officer demonstrated shock and subsequently became panicked, while the captain appeared to maintain composure, these sources told The Wall Street Journal. Last week's preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau summarized the cockpit exchange but failed to specify which pilot made which statements.
The preliminary findings also indicated that one pilot questioned another about moving the switches, while the other denied the action. Additional details within the preliminary report suggest the captain activated the switches, according to sources familiar with the investigation, US pilots and safety experts monitoring the probe, The Wall Street Journal reported.
These revelations could enhance understanding of the event sequence leading to the June 12 disaster and the pilots' responses, both of whom harbored childhood aviation dreams. Sabharwal represented a veteran with decades of experience, while Kunder was in his early thirties and anticipating career advancement, according to friends and family members.
Given that Kunder served as the actively flying pilot, he likely maintained full control of the Dreamliner's systems during that flight phase, according to US pilots who reviewed the Indian authorities' findings. Sabharwal, functioning as the monitoring pilot, would have possessed greater freedom to oversee operations.
The switches were activated consecutively, separated by one second, the report indicated. Approximately ten seconds later, both switches were reactivated. The aircraft crashed near Ahmedabad airport, resulting in 241 fatalities from the 242 passengers aboard.
The preliminary details have strengthened beliefs among certain US officials that criminal authorities should examine the matter, similar to procedures that would occur if the crash happened on American territory, sources familiar with the situation told The Wall Street Journal. In the US, accident investigators historically involve agencies like the FBI when potential crimes are suspected, rather than safety incidents.
The Indian authorities' preliminary report avoided conclusions about crash causation or switch deactivation reasons. The report didn't eliminate possible design defects, malfunctions or maintenance problems, and noted aviation medicine and psychology experts' participation in the investigation.
Campbell Wilson, Air India's chief executive, urged airline personnel this week to avoid premature crash conclusions, stating the investigation remained "far from over." An Air India representative confirmed the airline's continued cooperation with the probe.
When asked about The Wall Street Journal's pilot reporting, a press officer for India's Ministry of Civil Aviation and AAIB characterized it as one-sided and declined further comment.
Aviation disasters potentially involving deliberate crash actions might never achieve complete resolution, due to incomplete evidence and analytical disagreements. In certain cases, countries participating in extensive international accident probes have disagreed with each other's final determinations.
Plane-crash investigations frequently extend beyond one year, and emerging information can contradict initial evaluations.
Cockpit focus
Flight cockpit voice recorder contents have been strictly controlled by Indian authorities and considered crucial for understanding the flight's final moments.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the US National Transportation Safety Board, has sought to listen to the recording herself, according to sources familiar with the matter reported by The Wall Street Journal.
An NTSB spokesman said Homendy has been fully briefed on all Air India investigation aspects, including the cockpit voice recording and flight data recorder details. Homendy said her goal in working with Indian authorities was "to quickly determine whether the crash presented any immediate safety concerns to the traveling public."
Boeing, engine manufacturer GE Aerospace, and the Federal Aviation Administration haven't issued safety bulletins or directives to 787 operators since the crash. The NTSB is supporting the Indian investigation because Boeing designed the Dreamliner and GE its engines, while the FAA certified the plane for passenger flight.
The Indian authorities' preliminary report, finding that fuel control switches were activated in succession, one second apart, suggested deliberate action, according to Ben Berman, a former senior NTSB official who helped oversee the US-led investigation into EgyptAir Flight 990's 1999 crash.
Berman said that, prior to the engines' fuel being cut, the report didn't suggest anything unusual for what should have been a routine takeoff and climb-out.
"There was nothing to prompt the crew to perform emergency procedures, become stressed, or do anything except rotate the nose up and retract the landing gear, like they had done so many times before," Berman said.
