Plane crash investigation reveals shifting focus towards the aircraft's captain, according to a recent report
The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, has left the aviation industry and the public in shock. The preliminary findings of the investigation have shed light on a critical moment in the cockpit, but the reasons behind this action remain unclear.
The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) indicates that shortly after takeoff, both fuel cutoff switches were moved to the "cutoff" position, effectively starving the engines of fuel. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command, is believed to have moved these switches within about one second after liftoff, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the U.S. officials’ early assessment. However, First Officer Clive Kunder, who was actually flying the aircraft at the time, reportedly asked the captain why he had moved the switches, to which the captain replied that he had not cut off the fuel.
Captain Sabharwal had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours, with 8,596 hours on the Boeing 787. First Officer Kunder had a total flying experience of 3,403 hours. This was a highly experienced crew.
The preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB) notes that the fuel switches were moved to cutoff almost simultaneously, leading to the engines losing thrust and the aircraft descending rapidly. However, the report stops short of assigning blame or conclusively stating why the switches were moved.
The investigation into the crash is being led by US officials, but a final cause has yet to be determined. The suggestion of pilot error has been met with strong pushback from Indian pilot associations, who stress the need for a thorough, fact-based inquiry and urge that pilot representatives be included in the investigation.
As of mid-July 2025, the investigation is still ongoing. The Civil Aviation Minister emphasized that current findings are preliminary, and a final report with a comprehensive cause is still pending. The media focus has been on pilot actions, cockpit confusion, and potential error, but the official investigation has not yet determined a motive or reason for the movement of the fuel switches.
Until the official inquiry is complete, speculation about pilot error or intent is not substantiated by the available evidence. The final cause of the crash will depend on further analysis and the completion of the official inquiry.
| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Date of Crash | June 12, 2025 | | Aircraft | Boeing 787 Dreamliner | | Pilots | Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, First Officer Clive Kunder | | Fuel Switches | Moved to "cutoff" shortly after takeoff | | Official Finding (Preliminary) | Switches moved, engines lost thrust, aircraft descended and crashed | | Cause (Official) | Under investigation; no final determination or attribution of blame | | Media Focus | Pilot actions, cockpit confusion, potential error | | Pilot Community Reaction | Calls for fair, fact-based inquiry; rejects premature blame |
- The investigation into the car-accident-like incident involving the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner on June 12, 2025, has drawn the attention of the general-news media due to its similarities with a car accident, particularly due to the focus on pilot actions, cockpit confusion, and potential error.
- Despite the media and public speculation, the official findings of the ongoing investigations, led by US officials, regarding the famous aviation accident have not yet definitively assigned blame or determined the reason behind the movement of the fuel switches, which caused the accidents.
