Air India Flight 171 Crash: All 158 Killed, Pilots' Role Probed
Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 158 on board. Investigators are probing the role of the pilots, with aviation psychologists and medical specialists involved. The cause remains unclear, with human error and system failure being explored.
The plane crashed just 32 seconds after departure, following the shutdown of its fuel supply. A cockpit voice recording captured the moment. The younger co-pilot, later identified as Clive Kundar, asked his colleague why the fuel switches were turned off. The captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, was calm, while Kundar expressed surprise and panic. The Airline Pilots' Association of India has disputed human error as the cause. India's civil aviation authority has ordered inspections of cockpit fuel switches on Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft. The investigation is ongoing, with no definitive conclusions drawn yet.
The investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash continues. The cockpit voice recording may reveal who turned off the fuel switches and why. Both human error and system failure remain possibilities. Inspections of similar aircraft are underway to prevent future incidents.
