Pilots' grouping ALPA India seeks fair, fact-based probe into AI plane crash

Mumbai | Airline Pilots' Association of India on Saturday demanded a fair and fact-based probe into the Air India plane crash as it claimed that the tone and direction of the investigation into the Air India plane crash suggests a bias towards pilot error.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report into the fatal Boeing 787-8 plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people. The report has found that the fuel supply to both engines of Air India flight AI171 was cut off within a second of each other, causing confusion in the cockpit and the airplane plummeting back to the ground almost immediately after taking off.

The 15-page report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one unidentified pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, which the other denied.

"The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias towards pilot error... ALPA India categorically rejects this presumption and insists on a fair, fact-based inquiry," Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) said in a statement.

The association has also demanded that its representatives should be observers in the investigation process to ensure transparency and accountability.

ALPA India is a member of the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Association (IFALPA).

"We are once again surprised at the secrecy surrounding these investigations. We are also reiterating the fact that suitably qualified personnel are not taken on board for these crucial investigations," the Association alleged in the letter.

"We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots and we strongly object to this line of thought," it alleged.

Noting that the report refers to a serviceability bulletin concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction, the Association said, "while the bulletin exists, ALPA India demands clarity on whether the recommendations outlined in the bulletin were implemented prior to the flight."

On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began to lose thrust almost immediately after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport and ploughed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and another 19 on ground in the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.

A 15-page preliminary investigation report into the disaster revealed fuel-control switches of the two engines moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position, within the space of one second, leading to immediate loss of altitude.

The report by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIIB), released early on Saturday, neither concluded any reason for the switches moving nor apportioned explicit blame for the crash.

Air India has said that it will take on board its pilot community by holding dedicated sessions in the coming days to review the preliminary investigation report.

Captain Sabharwal and Co-pilot Clive Kunder who flew the AI plane that crashed

Mumbai | The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary probe report on the fatal Air India plane accident in Ahmedabad has put the spotlight on the fuel switches of the crashed Boeing 787-8 and the confusion among the two pilots over the switches being cut off.

The 15-page report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one unidentified pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, which the other denied.

Below is a brief profile of the two pilots:

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal: The 56-year-old veteran with 30 years of experience at Air India had commanded the ill-fated AI 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

He had logged 15,638 flying hours, including 8,596 on the Boeing 787. He was also an Air India instructor.

Sabharwal had called his family from the airport, assuring them that he would contact them again after landing in London.

His colleagues and co-pilots in Mumbai remembered him as a gentleman, known not just for his flying skills, but for his grounded nature.

Co-pilot Clive Kunder: The 32-year-old had 3,403 hours of total experience, with 1,128 on the Dreamliner.

Kunder was the pilot flying the AI 171, while Sabharwal was the pilot monitoring.

A resident of Goregaon in Mumbai, Kunder had worked for a year as an aeronautical engineer before successfully chasing his dream to be a pilot.

His neighbours remembered him as a good-natured man fond of sports who used to play cricket in the building compound.

On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began to lose thrust almost immediately after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport and ploughed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and another 19 on the ground in the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.

The AAIB report said the aircraft took off at 08:08:39 UTC (13:38:39 IST) and at about 08:09:05 UTC (13:39:05 IST) one of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY'.

According to a chronology laid out in the report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, both fuel control switches - which are used to turn the engines off - were moved to the cutoff position almost immediately after takeoff.

The report, however, did not say how this happened or who did it.