Air India has grounded three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for thorough investigations following a fatal crash that claimed the lives of 241 individuals earlier this year. The tragic incident occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, resulting in the loss of 241 out of 242 passengers onboard. This decision to suspend the three latest Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners comes after a series of serious in-flight incidents.
Following the crash, India’s Supreme Court indicated that the pilot of the ill-fated Air India flight may not be at fault. The court stated that the initial report on the Air India crash did not implicate the captain, but it will review a request from the pilot’s father for an independent inquiry.
Air India Flight 171 to London Gatwick crashed in Ahmedabad shortly after take-off in June, leading to the deaths of 241 passengers onboard and 19 individuals on the ground. The only survivor, Briton Viswashkumar Ramesh, expressed being emotionally overwhelmed by the tragedy. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, has urged the Supreme Court to commission an investigation by a panel of aviation experts into the crash.
Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command during the incident, along with first officer Clive Kunder, is requesting an independent committee to investigate the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash and has criticized the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Sabharwal claimed that officials from the AAIB visited him earlier and implied that his son had tampered with the plane’s engine fuel post-takeoff, an allegation denied by the government.
A preliminary report from the AAIB in July revealed that cockpit switches controlling fuel were moved to a “CUTOFF” position during the flight. The report mentioned an audio recording where one pilot questioned the other about cutting off fuel, to which the response was denial. The report did not attribute the comments to specific individuals. Both pilots were experienced with a combined total of approximately 19,000 flying hours, including over 9,000 hours on the Boeing 787.
Among the 241 passengers onboard, 53 were British citizens. Mr. Ramesh, the sole survivor, shared his ongoing physical struggles post-crash, including knee, shoulder, and back pain, along with burns on his left arm. He has received an interim payment of £21,500 to assist with his recovery.
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