- Speaking to Sky News Australia, Captain Bailey said it’s unlikely the fuel switches were shut off by mistake, pointing to the physical effort required to operate them.
- He suggested the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, intentionally cut off the fuel, calling it a likely case of “suicide by the captain.”
Australian aviation expert Captain Byron Bailey has claimed the deadly Air India Flight 171 crash in 2015 may have been a deliberate act by the pilot-in-command.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed into a building shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 241 people. Only one passenger, British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived with minor injuries.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found the aircraft’s fuel control switches were turned off just three seconds after takeoff, causing a loss of engine thrust. While one engine was later restarted, the plane crashed moments later.
Speaking to Sky News Australia, Captain Bailey said it’s unlikely the fuel switches were shut off by mistake, pointing to the physical effort required to operate them. He suggested the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, intentionally cut off the fuel, calling it a likely case of “suicide by the captain.”
The black box also recorded a tense exchange between Sabharwal and the co-pilot, who questioned the move. Sabharwal, who had over 15,000 flight hours, reportedly had a history of mental health issues and had taken medical leave in recent years.
Air India has acknowledged the preliminary findings and says it continues to cooperate fully with investigators.
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