The tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad has sparked a wave of controversy and concern, particularly over the preliminary findings that suggest pilot error—specifically the captain's actions—may have played a role.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials with access to cockpit recordings, the senior pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, allegedly moved the fuel control switches from "run" to "cutoff" seconds after takeoff, effectively shutting off fuel supply to the engines. The report claims that First Officer Clive Kunder reacted with panic upon noticing the switches, while the captain appeared calm.
However, this conclusion is not definitively stated in the preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Instead, the AAIB confirms that both fuel control switches moved to “cutoff” within a second of each other, but does not clarify whether this was done manually by a pilot or due to a mechanical or software fault.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has strongly objected to how these early findings are being portrayed. They expressed:
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Displeasure at being excluded from the investigative process.
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Concern that the assignment of blame is premature and irresponsible.
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A warning against drawing conclusions without a transparent and comprehensive analysis of data.
Adding complexity, a report from The Indian Express suggests investigators are exploring the possibility of an electrical or software malfunction that may have caused the fuel switches to move unintentionally—something aviation experts say is highly unlikely, but not impossible. Supporting this, Air India’s own inspection of similar aircraft showed no faults in the fuel switch locking mechanisms.
The government has stressed that the report is preliminary, cautioning the public and media to avoid speculation. The final accident report could take up to a year and will determine whether human error, mechanical failure, or a combination of both led to the fatal crash that killed 260 people—including passengers, crew, and 19 people on the ground.
In summary:
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The preliminary AAIB report states the fuel switches moved to “cutoff” but does not assign direct blame.
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The WSJ report, based on cockpit audio, suggests the captain may have moved the switches, sparking alarm from the first officer.
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The FIP is demanding a more inclusive and non-judgmental investigation.
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Technical malfunctions are still being probed, and no conclusive cause has been established.
Until the final findings are released, expert consensus is to treat all current interpretations as tentative.
