India’s Supreme Court has absolved the pilot of the ill-fated Air India plane that tragically crashed, leaving only one survivor. The flight bound for London went down shortly after departing from Ahmedabad, claiming the lives of 241 individuals, including 52 British nationals. Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the lone survivor, spoke of feeling incredibly fortunate despite enduring physical and mental challenges post-accident.
The court reassured the grieving father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot of Flight AI-171, that his son bore no responsibility for the catastrophe. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasized that the official investigation did not attribute any blame to the pilot. Captain Sabharwal had previously been praised for his quick thinking in steering the aircraft away from a medical students’ hostel, ultimately preventing more casualties.
Following a distress call shortly after take-off, the plane rapidly descended, leading to the fatal crash. The court condemned a Wall Street Journal article that had wrongly accused Sabharwal and initiated inquiries into the matter. Sabharwal’s father filed a petition seeking an unbiased investigation, claiming the ongoing inquiry was biased and incomplete, posing a risk to future air travelers.
Preliminary findings revealed that both fuel switches to the engines were inexplicably turned off after the aircraft reached top speed, resulting in the simultaneous shutdown of both engines and the subsequent crash. The case is set to be revisited by the Supreme Court on November 10, alongside other relevant petitions.
