The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal has demanded a new, formal probe after the AAIB’s preliminary report on the Air India plane crash hinted at his son’s mental pressure. Refuting the claims, he called the preliminary report biased and misleading.
The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots of the ill-fated Air India Dreamliner that crashed near Gujarat’s Ahmedabad in June, has demanded a new, formal probe into the accident. He strongly disagrees with the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), saying they have damaged his son’s reputation.
Air India plane crash
On June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad. The plane was heading to London Gatwick. All 12 crew members and 229 of the 230 passengers aboard died, making it one of India’s worst aviation disasters. The investigation is still ongoing, but the preliminary report raised suspicions that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was under extreme psychological pressure and might have been thinking of suicide.
Father’s demand for fresh probe
Pushkaraj Sabharwal, a 91-year-old man and the father of Captain Sumeet, wrote a letter to India’s civil aviation secretary and the AAIB Director General. In his letter, he demanded a full and formal investigation by the central government. He said the selective leaks about the accident are hurting his son’s reputation. These leaks suggested that Sumeet was mentally unwell, divorced, and depressed after his mother passed away more than three years ago.
“My son had flown over 100 flights after his mother’s death without any problems,” the father wrote. He added that Sumeet had no history of accidents or incidents in over 25 years of flying. In fact, Sumeet had more than 15,638 flight hours, with 8,596 of them on the Boeing 787-8.
Pushkaraj said the AAIB report does not clearly explain what really happened. Instead, it focuses on baseless assumptions and offers clean sheets to the plane manufacturer. He argued that such speculation harms not only his son’s name but also the truth about the crash.
What the preliminary report said
The AAIB’s preliminary report, published in July, clearly stated that it was too early to conclude the exact reason for the crash. The investigation is still in progress, and the final report would provide detailed findings after careful analysis. The Ministry of Civil Aviation assured the public that the investigation is fair and independent. They said the government is following international standards, and all necessary resources have been provided to the investigation team.
Speculation on mental health rejected
Pushkaraj strongly rejected the speculation that his son’s divorce caused mental stress. He pointed out that the divorce happened around 15 years ago, making it unlikely to impact Sumeet now. He also rejected claims that his mother’s death led to suicidal thoughts. The fact that Captain Sabharwal operated more than 100 flights without any issues after his mother passed away shows his mental fitness. The father also criticised how some details from the preliminary investigation were shared with the public. He mentioned that even sensitive material like the cockpit voice recorder’s contents was released.
“This selective information has created misleading ideas and public suspicion,” Pushkaraj wrote. He demanded that the government conduct a new inquiry under Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.
This rule allows the government to order a full probe into an accident if it believes it is necessary.
‘Need for a fair and complete probe’
Experts and many others agree with the father’s demand. They say the preliminary report lacks clear facts and focuses too much on speculation. They believe the final investigation must fully examine technical and human factors to find the real cause of the crash.
Civil aviation officials, however, assured that the investigation is ongoing and that the final report will be impartial and based on facts.
For Pushkaraj Sabharwal, this is not just about clearing his son’s name. It is a fight for justice, truth, and dignity. The pain of losing a son in such tragic circumstances, combined with false public assumptions, is deeply disturbing. He said that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was a responsible pilot with decades of experience and no history of mental health problems. The insinuations in the preliminary report only add to his grief.
The Air India crash remains one of the most tragic events in India’s aviation history. As the official investigation continues, the demand for transparency and honesty is growing louder.
The Sabharwal family’s plea highlights the importance of a full and fair inquiry that does not rely on half-baked assumptions. Only a proper investigation will not only bring out the real reason for the crash but also protect the dignity of the victims and their families.