Fri Jul 18 07:10:00 UTC 2025: **Air India Crash: US Officials Suspect Pilot Intentionally Cut Fuel Supply**
**Ahmedabad, India** – US officials involved in analyzing the black box data from the Air India Boeing 787-9 crash in Ahmedabad last month are leaning towards the theory that the captain deliberately cut off the fuel supply to the engines. The crash killed all but one of the 242 people on board after the plane plunged into a residential area shortly after takeoff.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the first officer questioned the captain’s decision to move the fuel cutoff switches, expressing surprise and panic while the captain remained calm. A preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had already revealed that the switches were turned off, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recording captured one pilot asking the other, “Why did you cut off [the fuel]?” to which the other responded, “I didn’t.”
While the AAIB report did not specify who said what, US sources have now indicated that it was First Officer Clive Kundar who questioned Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The switches were reportedly flipped in succession, one second apart, before being turned back on 10 seconds later.
Adding to the complexity, The Telegraph previously reported that investigators are examining Captain Sabharwal’s medical records amid claims of depression and mental health issues. He had also been considering leaving the airline following his mother’s death in 2022.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson acknowledged the “speculation in the media” sparked by the report but cautioned against drawing premature conclusions. Indian media reports suggest investigators are also exploring the possibility of electrical or digital faults that could have triggered “uncommanded” actions. Notably, a pilot flying the same aircraft hours before the crash reported a “stabiliser position transducer defect,” which could potentially lead to an unintended fuel cut-off signal.
The Federation of Indian Pilots has criticized the investigation’s transparency, objecting to the exclusion of pilot representatives and questioning the reliance on “selectively paraphrased cockpit voice recordings.” The federation’s president, Captain C.S. Randhawa, stated that assigning blame before a thorough investigation is “premature and irresponsible.”
This is the first fatal accident involving the Boeing Dreamliner, an aircraft popular for long-haul routes. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities exploring multiple potential causes, including pilot actions, mechanical failures, and underlying mental health issues.
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