Investigation into Air India crash now focuses on the aircraft's captain, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal.
A preliminary report released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday has shed light on the possible cause of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash that occurred in Ahmedabad, India, on June 12, 2025. The tragic incident resulted in the loss of 260 lives.
According to the report, the cockpit voice recording suggests that the captain may have been responsible for cutting off the fuel supply to the engines. This action is being investigated as a potential cause of the crash. The preliminary reports from the AAIB confirm that both engine fuel switches transitioned from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" within a second of each other during the initial climb. However, the AAIB did not specify who made this action.
The report was authored by David Shepardson in Washington and Dan Catchpole in Seattle, with additional contributions from Anusha Shah in Bengaluru and Jamie Freed. The closed-circuit TV footage at the crash site showed a backup energy source called a ram air turbine had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines.
The captain involved in the incident was Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who has a total flying experience of 15,638 hours. The first officer, who was piloting the aircraft at the time of the incident, was First Officer Clive Kunder, who has a total flying experience of 3,403 hours.
The investigation is ongoing, with airlines now inspecting Boeing 787 fuel switches in light of these findings. An internal memo by Air India CEO Campbell Wilson stated that the preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance faults and that all required maintenance had been carried out. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe.
The AAIB's preliminary report made no safety recommendations for Boeing or engine manufacturer GE. The report was issued after the AAIB's preliminary report on the Air India crash was released.
- The ongoing investigation in the aviation industry has prompted airlines to inspect Boeing 787 fuel switches, following the preliminary report's findings about the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash.
- Finance and transportation sectors are currently closely watching the development of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash investigation, as it could potentially influence future regulatory decisions on airplane safety.
- General-news outlets are reporting that aviation experts are focusing on the potential role of cutting off the fuel supply to the engines in the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash, an event that took the lives of 260 people in June 2025.
