Air India Crash: Was It a Pilot Error or Aviation System Failure?
Experts urge against blaming AI171 pilot. With only 32 seconds to act, Sumit Sabharwal tried everything. Investigation will reveal real cause.
Captain Sumit Sabharwal, the pilot in command, had less than 30 seconds from takeoff to the moment of the crash — a period too brief for any meaningful corrective action. The discussion explored whether the narrative unfairly blamed the deceased pilot when concrete evidence was still pending. Captain Ray emphasized the psychological and physical limitations within that small time window and defended the pilot’s professionalism.
Group Captain Bajpai analyzed hypotheses including dual engine failure, cyber sabotage, or flap configuration errors, while also defending the pilot's competence. Dr. Paranjpe used flight trajectory data to argue the possibility of dual engine thrust loss and cautioned against hasty conclusions without black box data.
The panel raised valid concerns about Boeing’s manufacturing record and the necessity of extended surveillance of the 787 fleet. They also called attention to the preventable ground fatalities, stressing stricter land-use policies around airports.
Conclusion Bottomline by Barkha Dutt:
“As we wait for answers, let us at least grant the dignity of silence to those who are no longer here to defend themselves.”
Quote from the Discussion:
“Even with the best possible action, the outcome would likely have been the same — we cannot blame the pilots.” – Dr. Aditya Paranjpe
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