Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday appealed for restraint in interpreting the initial investigation findings of the tragic June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, stressing that the report was only preliminary. He urged both the public and the media to withhold judgment until the final investigation is complete.
The preliminary analysis by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) indicated that just three seconds after take-off, fuel supply to both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 was unexpectedly cut. The aircraft’s fuel control switches reportedly moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" within one second of each other, effectively shutting down power to both engines.
Calling the investigation “complex,” Naidu said multiple technical factors need to be carefully studied. “The ministry is examining the report in detail. Let’s avoid drawing early conclusions. Only after the final report is released can we truly understand what happened,” he told reporters.
He also took the opportunity to express confidence in India’s aviation personnel. “Our pilots and cabin crew are among the best in the world. They are the backbone of our aviation sector,” he added.
The AAIB’s preliminary report does not clarify whether the shift in the fuel control switches was due to human error or a technical malfunction. However, audio recovered from the cockpit voice recorder captures a brief exchange between the pilots, where one can be heard asking, “Why did you cut the fuel?” The other replied, “I didn’t.”
The ill-fated flight was commanded by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a senior pilot with over 15,600 hours of flying experience. His co-pilot, Clive Kunder, had logged 3,403 flight hours.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol echoed Naidu’s appeal for patience, adding that no firm conclusions should be drawn from the pilot conversation alone.
“It was a very short exchange, and you cannot base an entire investigation on that. The AAIB is conducting the probe independently. Importantly, we decoded the black box data domestically—no need to send it abroad,” he noted.
The London-bound aircraft crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex in Ahmedabad moments after take-off. The accident claimed the lives of all 260 people onboard, including 241 passengers and crew, as well as 19 people on the ground.
As investigations continue, officials are urging a thorough, evidence-based approach before assigning blame or cause to the devastating incident.
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