Father of Air India Flight Captain Speaks Out After Crash Investigation
NEW DELHI – The father of the captain involved in a tragic Air India flight crash has come forward with troubling claims. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, 91, stated that officials from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) visited him recently, hinting that his son, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, may have turned off the engines’ fuel after takeoff.
In an email to the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), Sabharwal recounted the visit on August 30, which was presented as a condolence call. However, he felt that the officials crossed the line by suggesting, based on selective information from the cockpit voice recorder, that his son was responsible for the fuel switch changes.
“During our conversation, they implied my son moved the fuel control switches from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ just after departure,” he wrote in the email sent on September 17.
Sabharwal had previously reached out to India’s civil aviation ministry, asking for a fresh investigation into the deadly crash. He criticized the AAIB for their “selective” sharing of information that fueled speculation regarding his son’s actions.
The Air India flight 171 disaster occurred in June shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of 241 out of 242 passengers aboard and 19 individuals on the ground.
A preliminary investigation by the AAIB indicated that the fuel switches were turned off almost simultaneously immediately after the flight took off. However, the AAIB has not responded to inquiries regarding the investigation. Last Thursday, a reporter was denied access to Sabharwal’s residence in Mumbai while seeking comments.
The FIP criticized the AAIB’s visit, stating that it breached proper investigation procedures. Captain C.S. Randhawa, the FIP’s president, expressed concern, pointing out that such questioning should not occur at the homes of victims.
Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, a former official in India’s aviation safety sector, requested the FIP’s assistance in ensuring a fair investigation. The AAIB’s initial report mentioned dialogue from the cockpit that raised questions about the fuel cutoff but did not specify which pilot made certain statements.
A U.S. official speaking about the evidence suggested the recording indicated that Captain Sabharwal had disconnected the fuel supply. The first officer reportedly asked him to restore fuel flow after noticing the switches had been turned off.
In his email, Sabharwal emphasized the need to protect his son’s dignity and ensure a fair investigation, calling the investigators’ comments “improper.” He articulated that the ongoing speculation had caused him immense distress, and he believes an additional investigation could help reveal the truth and improve safety for future flights.
This week, India’s Supreme Court requested a government response to a petition for an independent investigation into the crash.
