AI 171 Crash: Fuel Switches, Suicide Speculation, and Pilot’s Father Lashes Out

Captain Sabharwal had an unblemished 25-year record, his father emphasized, adding that linking his 15-year-old divorce or his mother’s death three years ago to mental health issues was “absurd.” The letter noted that the pilot successfully completed over 100 flights after his mother’s passing without incident. The elderly father, who lived with and depended on his son, said the rumors have deeply impacted his own mental health.

Aviation experts Captain Amit Singh and Captain Randhava of the Federation of Indian Pilots echoed the family’s concerns, criticizing the probe for overlooking possible technical faults while focusing on speculation. Both demanded a judicial inquiry, similar to past air crash investigations, to ensure transparency.

Captain Sabharwal’s father has now warned that unless authorities issue a public statement clarifying that suicide theories are baseless, he will move court within a week.

As Ms Barkha Dutt concluded in her program, this is not only the fight of one bereaved father but also a call for justice on behalf of all families who lost loved ones in the AI171 tragedy. A fair, transparent probe, she stressed, is the least owed to them.