Air India has grounded three Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for thorough investigations following a tragic crash earlier this year that claimed 241 lives. The fatal incident occurred on June 12 in Ahmedabad, resulting in the loss of 241 out of 242 individuals on board. The decision to halt operations of the three newest Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners follows four serious in-flight incidents.
This development comes shortly after India’s Supreme Court indicated that the pilot of the crashed Air India flight should not be held responsible. The court mentioned that the initial report on the Air India crash did not implicate the captain. However, the judges will review a plea from the pilot’s father for an independent inquiry.
In a separate statement, it was revealed that Air India Flight 171 to London Gatwick crashed into a building shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, causing the deaths of 241 passengers on board and 19 individuals on the ground. Viswashkumar Ramesh, a British citizen, miraculously survived the crash and expressed being profoundly affected by the ordeal.
The father of the pilot, Sumeet Sabharwal, has urged the Supreme Court to commission an investigation by a panel of aviation experts into the crash. A hearing to address this request is set for November 10. Sumeet Sabharwal, as the pilot-in-command, has demanded an independent committee to scrutinize the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash and criticized the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
Allegations surfaced earlier when two AAIB officials reportedly implied that Sumeet Sabharwal had tampered with the fuel supply to the plane’s engine after take-off. The government refuted these claims, asserting that the investigation was conducted meticulously. A preliminary report from the AAIB indicated that fuel control switches in the cockpit were manipulated to a “CUTOFF” position. The report also mentioned a conversation in the cockpit where one pilot questioned the other about cutting off the fuel.
The report, spanning 15 pages, did not attribute specific comments to either pilot. Both pilots were seasoned professionals with a combined flying experience of approximately 19,000 hours, including over 9,000 hours on the 787 aircraft.
Among the 241 individuals on board, 53 were British citizens. Mr. Ramesh, who survived the crash, continues to endure physical ailments such as knee, shoulder, and back pain, along with burns on his left arm. He has been offered an interim payment of £21,500 to aid in his recovery.