The tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad last month, which killed 260 people, including former Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani, may have been caused by a critical error by the flight’s captain, media reports suggest.

 

According to reports citing black box data, cockpit audio indicates Captain Sumeet Sabrawal might have turned off the fuel switches for both engines just after takeoff, causing the Boeing Dreamliner to lose power.

 

His co-pilot, Clive Kunder, reportedly questioned Captain Sabrawal's move, asking why the switch for fuel supply had been switched off. Sabrawal, however, stayed calm despite Kunder’s visible concern.

 

32-year-old Clive had logged over 3,400 flight hours, while the 56-year-old Sabrawal, who joined Air India in 1994, had more than 15,000 hours under his belt, over half of them on Boeing aircraft. He was also a line training captain, responsible for mentoring younger pilots.

 

Earlier, Indian authorities released a preliminary report noting cockpit confusion, including the exchange about the fuel switches, but no blame was assigned. One of the pilots had even denied shutting off the fuel supply.

 

So far, there has been no official response from Boeing, India’s aviation authority, or Air India on the latest revelations.

 

The London-bound flight crashed on June 12 shortly after departing from Ahmedabad. Of the 242 passengers on board, 241 died, including 53 British citizens. Only one British-Indian passenger survived, seated at 11A. The plane crashed into a medical college building, killing 19 more people on the ground.

 

Captain Sabrawal, who was just months away from retirement, had called his father before the takeoff and promised to call again after landing in London, a call that never came. He was unmarried and came from an aviation family, with his father retired from India’s Civil Aviation Authority and two nephews also serving as pilots.

 

First Officer Clive had dreamed of becoming a pilot since childhood. He was engaged and was set to be married two months after the crash. His mother had also served as a flight attendant for Air India.

 

According to Air India, both pilots tested negative for alcohol or drug use before the flight and showed no signs of illness.