Thu Jul 17 12:19:08 UTC 2025: **Headline: US Report Suggests Pilot Error in Air India Crash That Killed 260**
**Ahmedabad, India** – A new report from the United States is casting doubt on the cause of last month’s devastating Air India crash in Ahmedabad, potentially shifting blame towards the actions of the pilot-in-command. The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials’ early assessment of the evidence, suggests Captain Sumeet Sabharwal may have inadvertently or deliberately cut fuel flow to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s engines shortly after takeoff.
The crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12th killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground, when it plummeted into a populated suburb near Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had previously revealed that both engines shut down within a single second, leading to the catastrophic loss of altitude. While the report noted the fuel-control switches were found in the “cutoff” position, it stopped short of assigning blame.
The US report, based on black box audio recordings, has reignited debate. The voice recording suggests it was Sabharwal who may have moved the fuel control switches to “cutoff” after takeoff, an action that cut power to both engines. Investigators indicate First Officer Kunder would be occupied with the takeoff.
Fuel cutoff switches are designed to be deliberate. There have been previous reports on the potential for Boeing planes to have a software glitch causing the fuel switch to move from “run” to “cutoff” without any action from the pilots.
India’s Federation of Indian Pilots has cautioned against premature judgment, emphasizing the reliance on paraphrased cockpit voice recorder excerpts and the lack of comprehensive data. They stressed the need for a transparent, data-driven investigation.
Air India’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, has also urged staff to avoid jumping to conclusions, stating the investigation is “far from over.” The AAIB, along with Boeing and experts from the US and UK, are continuing their investigation into the deadliest aviation incident in a decade.
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