India's Supreme Court has stated that the preliminary report into the devastating Air India crash in June does not insinuate any blame against the aircraft's captain, as the court prepares to consider a plea from the pilot's father for an independent investigation.
A Father's Fight for Answers
Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the 91-year-old father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, has called upon the Supreme Court to order a fresh investigation led by a panel of aviation experts and headed by a retired judge. His plea is scheduled for a hearing on 10 November.
Mr Sabharwal has publicly criticised the official inquiry conducted by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). He claims that two officials from the bureau visited him and implied that his son was responsible for cutting the fuel supply to the plane's engine shortly after take-off. The government has firmly denied these accusations, defending the AAIB's work as "very clean" and "very thorough".
The Crash and Its Aftermath
The tragedy occurred in June when Air India Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner struck a building, resulting in the deaths of all 241 people on board and a further 19 people on the ground.
Among the passengers was Briton Viswashkumar Ramesh, who remarkably was the sole survivor from the aircraft. In a poignant interview, Mr Ramesh, who lives in Leicester with his wife and young son, revealed he has been "broken down" by the trauma. He continues to suffer from physical injuries, including knee, shoulder, and back pain, as well as burns on his left arm. He has been offered an interim payment of £21,500 ahead of a final personal injury claim.
Conflicting Evidence from the Cockpit
The preliminary report from the AAIB, published in July, introduced a critical piece of evidence. It stated that the cockpit switches controlling the aircraft's fuel were found in the "CUTOFF" position.
Furthermore, an audio recording from the cockpit captured one pilot asking the other why he had "cut off" the fuel. The other pilot is heard responding that he did not do it. The 15-page report did not specify which comments were made by Captain Sabharwal and which by the First Officer, Clive Kunder.
Both pilots were highly experienced, boasting a combined 19,000 flying hours, with over 9,000 of those hours specifically on the Boeing 787. The flight was carrying 241 people, including 53 UK citizens.
As the Supreme Court considers the call for an independent probe, the aviation world and the families of the victims await further answers about one of the deadliest air disasters in recent history.
