AI171 Pilot’s Father Fights Back: Shocking Details Emerge in Boeing Clean Chit Bid

Captain Sumit, a pilot with over 15,000 hours of safe flying, was initially suspected of moving the aircraft’s fuel control switches—an act investigators hinted could have led to the crash. In a new email to the Federation of Indian Pilots, Mr. Sabharwal reveals that two officials from the Accident Investigation Bureau visited him under the guise of offering condolences but instead implied his son caused the disaster. He calls their behaviour “professionally indefensible” and accuses the probe of tarnishing his son’s spotless record while ignoring potential technical failures, including possible electrical faults or water-related malfunctions in the Boeing Dreamliner.

Aviation experts interviewed by journalist Barkha Dutt supported the father’s demand for a deeper, more transparent inquiry. They questioned why manufacturers like Boeing and GE received early “clean chits,” warning that shifting blame solely to pilots is both premature and dangerous.

Concluding her report, Ms. Barkha Dutt noted that unless the government responds convincingly, Mr. Sabharwal is prepared to approach the courts—turning his private grief into a public fight for truth and his son’s reputation.