India’s Supreme Court has absolved the pilot of the ill-fated Air India plane that tragically crashed, leaving only one survivor. The flight, bound for London, went down shortly after departing from Ahmedabad in western India on June 12, claiming the lives of 241 individuals, including 52 British nationals. The lone survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, described himself as incredibly fortunate to have escaped the wreckage and continues to cope with physical and mental challenges.
The court reassured the grieving father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot of Flight AI-171, that his son was not responsible for the disaster. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the official investigation did not attribute any blame to the pilot. Captain Sabharwal had been hailed a hero for skillfully diverting the aircraft away from a medical students’ hostel, averting a direct impact and saving numerous lives.
Despite sending a distress call shortly after take-off, where the plane rapidly descended after reaching a height of 650 feet, Captain Sabharwal’s actions were credited with preventing a greater tragedy. The court criticized a Wall Street Journal article that had cast aspersions on Sabharwal, labeling it as biased reporting.
Following a petition filed by Sabharwal’s father, demanding an independent judicial inquiry and the closure of the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, the court issued notices to relevant authorities. The petition argues that a thorough investigation is essential to prevent future aviation risks and uphold constitutional rights.
Preliminary findings by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau revealed that both fuel switches supplying the plane’s engines were inexplicably turned off just after reaching top speed, leading to the shutdown of both engines and the subsequent fatal descent. Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder were in control of the flight at the time of the incident.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to reconvene on November 10 to further deliberate on the case and related petitions.