Have you ever heard of a plane captain shutting down the engines right after takeoff? Well, in the case of the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad last month, this isn’t just a rumor – it’s recorded in the black boxes! Captain Sumit Sabharwal allegedly handed over control to first officer Clive Kunder with the words: “The plane is in your hands.” But what happened next? The first officer was confused and asked the captain why he had moved the fuel switches that cut off the engines. Yes, you read that right – the engines were shut down immediately after takeoff!
According to sources, it’s not unusual for a captain to hand over control to the first officer during takeoff, but pilots familiar with the preliminary accident report say Kunder had his “hands full” flying the plane. The cockpit recording reveals Kunder repeatedly asking the captain: “Why did you shut down the engines?” and receiving a vague denial: “I didn’t.” But Kunder wasn’t convinced and asked the same question several more times.
India’s Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed that the fuel switches were switched from “on” to “off” immediately after takeoff but did not say how they were moved or speculate whether it was on purpose or by accident. The preliminary report found no mechanical or maintenance failures during the flight.
This tragedy claimed lives onboard, and the investigation is still ongoing. Was the captain deliberately cutting off the engines? Could the first officer have prevented the crash? Or was it just a tragic accident?
If this sounds like a bad movie plot, you’re not far off. But this is reality, and it makes us wonder – how safe is flying really?
Drop your thoughts – do you think the captain is to blame, or was it just a terrible coincidence? Or maybe you have your own conspiracy theory? Don’t be shy, the comment section is your stage!
