A pilot in the cockpit of theAir India plane,which crashed killing 260 people inAhmedabad,"almost certainly" intended to turn off fuel switches, sources claim. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner came down just seconds into its journey to London Gatwick on June 12 last year. An official investigation is ongoing.
In total, 241 passengers and crew were killed, and 19 people died when the plane crashed into a medical college. Fifty-three of those on board were British. There was only one survivor from the plane, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh.
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Italian daily,Corriere della Sera, reported on Tuesday (February 10) that the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, is likely to be blamed for the crash, citing Western sources.
The publication reported that investigators found the left engine was shut down first, suggesting Mr Sabharwal was responsible, as captains always sit on the left. The right engine then shut down.
Corriere della Sera also reported that while first officer Clive Kunder's control stick was in a position to regain altitude, the captain's was stationary.
The plane's flight data recorder also reportedly pointed the finger at Mr Sabharwal. In a blackbox recording, one pilot could be heard asking the other: "Why did you turn off the engines?" To which the other replied: "It wasn't me".
Sources told the Italian publication the final report into the crash may include a "toned down" explanation suggesting one of the pilots was responsible to avoid controversy in India.
Western threats to reassess Indian airlines' safety records are reported to risk India's image as it continues to invest in air travel, tourism and trade.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
