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.

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The plane dove into the Meghaani residential district, triggering a devastating explosion and sending towering black smoke across the skyline. Air India confirmed the international makeup of passengers aboard the doomed flight included 169 Indians, 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian traveler.

BREAKING: Passenger Plane Crashes Near Ahmedabad Airport, Emergency Services Pressedhttps://t.co/R3niDR61SU
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— Republic (@republic) June 12, 2025

Reuters confirmed 242 people were on the aircraft when it crashed. The plane carried full fuel tanks necessary for the transatlantic journey to Europe, which aviation experts believe intensified both the explosion and the subsequent fire. Emergency responders, including fire departments and medical teams, rushed to the crash site, where rescue crews continue searching for survivors. Officials have not yet released casualty figures or confirmed fatalities. The incident represents the Boeing 787's first crash since the aircraft model began commercial operations in 2011.

Investigators have not determined what caused the aircraft to go down. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will begin a formal investigation in the coming days, while Boeing officials are evaluating whether to deploy a specialized technical team to help analyze the failure. Aviation authorities point out that aircraft carrying maximum fuel loads for international flights face increased fire risks that can hamper emergency response efforts.

Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah confirmed that India's federal government will provide comprehensive support for both crisis management and the investigation into what caused this unprecedented aviation accident.

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Iran's cabinet on Wednesday allocated $150,000 for the families of each of the 176 victims of a Ukrainian plane downed in Iranian airspace in January, the official IRNA news agency reported.

"The cabinet approved the provision of $150,000 or the equivalent in euros as soon as possible to the families and survivors of each of the victims of the Ukrainian plan crash," IRNA reported, quoting a government statement.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane shortly after takeoff, mistaking it for a missile when tensions with the United States were high.

Five days earlier, the US had killed Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani with a drone strike in Iraq.

Iran's Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami told state television on Wednesday that the final report on the crash had been sent to the countries participating in the investigation.

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Israeli Air Force pilot cadet Cpl. Lihu Ben-Bassa, 19, who was killed in a plane crash near Kibbutz Mishmar Hanegev on Tuesday, was laid to rest Wednesday afternoon at the military cemetery in Rishon Lezion.

Ben-Bassa was three months into his pilot's course. He is survived by his parents and his twin brother.

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The fallen cadet's father, Shlomi, eulogized his son: "Forgive me, my son. You're in every one of my tears and you'll continue to live in every cell in my body. I did the best I could as a father. I'm sorry I didn't do more. Now you'll be present every second of my life. You're in my heart forever, and I carry you with me all the time. Rest in peace. You're not alone. You never will be, I promise."

IAF flight school commander Col. Yuval Harel, also spoke at the funeral.

"You went out for your last flight with [Itay] Zaiden, one of our best pilots and instructors, your experienced and skilled squadron leader. Your friends say that before the flight, Zaiden hugged you like a father and you told them how excited you were to be heading in the right direction, and then it happened.

"Since yesterday, we've been trying to understand what happened. There are a lot more question marks than answers. We will probe the incident, we will learn from the mistakes and how not to repeat them," Harel said.

Shibolet Ben-Bassa, the late cadet's mother, said Wednesday: "My Lihu – the wonderfuly boy you are, you went to serve with some much joy and hope. I held myself back from talking to you about my fears, I didn't want to stop your flight and your commitment.

"God, why? Why you? I don't understand. A gentle, quiet boy, but you have so many talents and so much wisdom in every field … What will we do without you?" she lamented.

IAF flight instructor Maj. Itay Zaiden, 42, who was killed the same crash, was laid to rest Wednesday morning. At his family's request, the funeral was private and the media was not invited to cover it.

The residents of Kibbutz Shoval in the northern Negev, where Zaiden lived, were in heavy mourning. Zaiden's widow, Michal, and his four children – asked not to be interviewed.

Family friend Lior Reiser, spoke on their behalf. "Itay was a very close friend, the best of the best, salt of the earth, a family man, everybody's friend, someone who had wonderful charisma and humanity. His death is a disaster for everyone."

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Wednesday's shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, killing all 176 people aboard, has led to one of the biggest public challenges to the Islamic Republic's clerical rulers since they took power four decades ago.

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In a step that will increase diplomatic pressure, Britain, France and Germany launched a dispute mechanism to challenge Iran for breaching limits on its nuclear program under an agreement which Washington abandoned in 2018.

Since the United States killed Iran's most powerful military commander in a drone strike on Jan. 3, Tehran has faced escalating confrontation with the West and unrest at home, both reaching levels with little precedent in its modern history.

Iran shot down the airliner on Wednesday when its military was on high alert, hours after it had fired missiles at US targets in Iraq. After days of denying a role in the air crash, it admitted it on Saturday, calling it a tragic mistake.

Protesters, many of them students, have held daily demonstrations since then, chanting "Clerics get lost!" and calling for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in power for more than 30 years.

Police have responded to some protests with a violent crackdown, video posts on social media showed. Footage showed police beating protesters with batons, wounded people being carried, pools of blood on the streets and the sound of gunfire.

Iran's police denied firing at protesters. The judiciary said 30 people had been detained in the unrest but said the authorities would show tolerance towards "legal protests."

Video posts on Tuesday showed scores gathered peacefully at two Tehran universities. "Where is justice?" one group chanted.

The extent of the unrest is difficult to assess because of limits on independent reporting. Demonstrations tend to gather momentum later in the day and clashes have been at night.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani promised a thorough investigation into the "unforgivable error" of shooting down the plane. He spoke in a television address on Tuesday, the latest in a series of apologies from a leadership that rarely admits mistakes.

Judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili said some of those accused of having a role in the plane disaster had been arrested, although he did not say how many or identify them.

Most of those on board the flight were Iranians or dual nationals. Canada, Ukraine, Britain and other nations who had citizens on the plane have scheduled a meeting on Thursday in London to consider legal action against Tehran.

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The Boeing 737 passenger jet to Nairobi crashed early on Sunday with 149 passengers and eight crew members aboard, the airline said, and there were no survivors, according to the state broadcaster.

Israel's Foreign Ministry has opened up an incident room in Jerusalem and was waiting for the passenger manifest from the flight, which took off from Bole airport in Addis Ababa at 8.38 a.m. local time, before losing contact with the control tower just a few minutes later at 8.44 a.m.

"There are no survivors onboard the flight, which carried passengers from 33 countries," said state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation, quoting an unidentified source at the airline.

Flight ET 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometers southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, the airline said, adding that the plane was a Boeing 737-800 MAX, registration number ET-AVJ.

"Search and rescue operations are in progress and we have no confirmed information about survivors or any possible casualties," the airline said in a statement.

The flight had unstable vertical speed after takeoff, said flight-tracking website Flightradar24 on its Twitter feed.

The Ethiopian prime minister's office sent condolences via Twitter to the families of those lost in the crash.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message of condolence to the families of the crash victims and said that the Israeli government was trying to determine whether any of its citizens had been on board the ill-fated flight.

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