Archive · 31 Jan 2026
Air India 787 Crash Probe Focuses on Pilot Action
A plane crash in India last year is being investigated.
The plane, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed just after taking off from Ahmedabad.
Almost everyone on board, 260 people, died.
The investigation is now focusing on the pilots, as there is no evidence of mechanical failure or sabotage.
The captain and first officer were experienced, but there are suspicions that the captain might have turned off the engines on purpose.
This has caused controversy, with some people resisting the idea that the pilots were involved.
The families of the victims and the pilots' union have raised objections.
The investigation is still ongoing, and the Supreme Court will look into it.
Investigation into the Air India 787-8 Dreamliner crash focuses on deliberate pilot action as the probable cause.
The crash on June 12, 2023, claimed 260 lives, with the aircraft plunging into a hostel complex in Ahmedabad.
Mechanical failure and sabotage have been ruled out, leaving pilot action as the primary line of inquiry.
Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder were the pilots, with suspicions of intentional engine shutdown.
The investigation has sparked controversy, with objections from the pilots' union and families of the deceased.
- Who
- Passengers and crew of Air India Flight AI171, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani
- What
- A catastrophic crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
- When
- June 12, 2023
- Where
- Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, India
- Why
- Investigation suggests deliberate pilot action as the probable cause, with mechanical failure and sabotage ruled out
Pilot Action Theory
Disputing Pilot Action Theory
Cause of the Crash
Pilot Action Theory
The investigation is leaning towards deliberate pilot action as the probable cause, with evidence suggesting the fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a gap of one second.
Disputing Pilot Action Theory
The pilot-action theory is disputed, with the Supreme Court criticizing selective leaks and the pilot's family seeking a fair probe.
- Date of Crash
- June 12, 2023
- Aircraft Model
- Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner
- Flight Number
- AI171
- Destination
- London
- Casualties
- 260 of 261 onboard
- Captain
- Sumeet Sabharwal
- First Officer
- Clive Kunder
- Compensation Announced
- ₹1.25 crore per family
Sources
Pilot action under scrutiny in deadly Air India 787 crash; probe nears key conclusion: Report
Air India AI171 crash probe: AAIB examining aircraft components, ‘nothing ruled out’ yet
Air India crash probe: 'Nothing has been ruled out'
AI crash probe 'blames' pilot
