Mumbai: The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was flying the Boeing Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, has demanded a fresh, independent investigation into the tragedy.
In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 91-year-old Pushkaraj Sabharwal alleged that the preliminary investigation appeared “heavily influenced” by the aircraft manufacturer and unfairly placed the blame on the pilots. He said this had led to media speculation that tarnished his son’s reputation.
“The government is under obligation to ensure a professional, independent and impartial investigation into such accidents to prevent future tragedies and loss of human lives,” he wrote, warning that he would pursue legal action if his request was ignored.
Defending his son’s reputation, Sabharwal said the pilot had more than 15,600 hours of flying experience and served as a pilot trainer.
“He had operated over 100 flights without incident after his mother’s death three years ago. In 25 years, he had not had a single incident,” the letter said, rejecting reports that the pilot was depressed and had deliberately caused the crash.
Sabharwal also pointed to two recent Boeing crashes worldwide, including the Ethiopian Airlines tragedy, where investigations revealed that changes to flight control software — not disclosed to pilots — were a key factor. He argued that similar scrutiny should be applied in this case.
He requested that the findings of any fresh probe not be selectively leaked to the media.
The Air India Dreamliner was en route to London when it crashed less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad on July 12, killing all 241 passengers and crew on board, along with more than 30 people on the ground.
A preliminary inquiry by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau indicated that the aircraft’s fuel control switches, designed not to be moved accidentally, had shifted from the ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position. A report in The Wall Street Journal claimed the pilot had manually moved the switch, a claim strongly protested by Indian pilots’ associations and the government.
The final investigation report is still pending.
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