Air India Crash: Expert Suggests Pilot May Have Intentionally Cut Off Fuel Controls

An aviation expert has suggested that the pilot of a doomed Air India flight may have deliberately shut off fuel controls, causing the fatal 2015 crash that killed 241 people.

Captain Byron Bailey, a respected Australian aviation analyst and former pilot, has raised fresh concerns over the circumstances surrounding the crash of Air India Flight 171, which went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London on June 12, 2015. Speaking with Sky News Australia, Bailey stated it was “unlikely” that the fuel control switches were accidentally turned off, as they require “deliberate physical effort.”

According to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the plane’s fuel switches were turned off just three seconds after takeoff, causing a sudden loss of engine power.

Although one engine was later restarted, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner ultimately crashed into a nearby building. Of the 242 people on board, only one British-Indian national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh survived with minor injuries.

Bailey strongly suggested the incident could be a case of “pilot suicide,” implicating Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who commanded the ill-fated flight.

Flight recorder data revealed a tense exchange between Sabharwal and his co-pilot just before the crash. The co-pilot reportedly questioned the unusual fuel cutoff, to which Sabharwal gave no clear explanation. With over 15,000 flight hours, Sabharwal was an experienced pilot, but investigators also noted a history of mental health issues and recent medical leave.

Air India has acknowledged the ongoing investigation and stated it continues to fully cooperate with authorities. No official conclusion has yet been reached, but Bailey’s statements have reignited discussions around pilot mental health screenings and aviation safety protocols.

“Given the effort it takes to shut off those switches, this was not accidental. All signs point to an intentional act,” Bailey told Sky News Australia.

While pilot suicide in aviation is rare, high-profile incidents such as Germanwings Flight 9525 in 2015 have brought attention to mental health in the cockpit. The case of Air India Flight 171 adds another troubling example to this growing concern.