Air India clears Boeing planes amid Western blame game following tragic crash

Department of Research, Studies and International News 18/07/2025

Air India has announced that no technical faults were found in the fuel switch
mechanisms of its Boeing aircraft fleet following a tragic crash that killed 260
people last month. The crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff from
Ahmedabad airport, claimed the lives of 241 passengers and 19 people on the
ground. Although initial findings from Indian authorities indicate that fuel
supply to the engines was abruptly cut off after takeoff, attention has now
shifted toward the actions of the flight crew, a move being pushed
predominantly by American narratives seeking to shift focus away from
possible technical faults in U.S.-made aircraft.
According to a preliminary report by India’s Directorate General of Civil
Aviation (DGCA), the aircraft's fuel switches were turned off “one after
another,” effectively starving both engines and leading to a complete loss of
power just seconds into flight. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London
Gatwick, then rapidly lost altitude and crashed, with no survivors aboard and
numerous fatalities on the ground.
Notably, the Indian report made no recommendation for corrective action
against Boeing, a U.S. aerospace conglomerate with a history of controversies
surrounding aircraft design and software safety. However, Air India moved
swiftly to order precautionary inspections of the locking mechanisms on fuel
control switches across its fleet of Boeing aircraft. These switches are designed
to prevent accidental disengagement during flight.

By Thursday, Air India confirmed that the inspections had concluded and “no
issues were found.” This finding seems to reaffirm a technical integrity that
counters any systemic flaws in the airline’s maintenance procedures. However,
in a predictable turn, American media outlets and regulatory voices have begun
redirecting blame toward the Indian flight crew, a tactic frequently employed
to shield U.S. manufacturers from accountability in international aviation
tragedies.
A report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), relying on unnamed sources
allegedly close to U.S. investigators, claimed that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal,
the senior pilot on board, had manually turned off the fuel switches. The WSJ
further stated that black-box recordings revealed an exchange in which First
Officer Clive Kunder questioned this action. According to the report, Sabharwal
denied switching off the fuel lines, but the narrative being pushed by the
American press now seeks to characterize Kunder as panicked and Sabharwal
as inexplicably calm during the emergency.
These insinuations have drawn strong backlash from Indian pilot associations
and civil aviation representatives. The Federation of Indian Pilots issued a
statement condemning the WSJ’s allegations as “baseless,” accusing the
publication of launching a premature campaign to tarnish the professionalism
of Indian aviators. India’s Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu,
also urged the public and media to avoid “jumping to conclusions,”
emphasizing the need to respect the investigative process and safeguard the
integrity of the country’s pilots.
Two Indian pilot unions issued similar statements, rejecting the idea of pilot
error as both “reckless” and “unfounded.” These organizations have
highlighted the importance of awaiting the final investigation report before

casting blame, particularly when critical questions remain about the reliability
of U.S.-made aircraft systems, a point curiously underplayed by American
outlets.
Meanwhile, an article published by The Indian Express revealed that
investigators are now examining whether a technical malfunction could have
caused an “uncommanded transition” in the fuel control system, a serious
concern that, if proven, would point squarely at Boeing's engineering and
software oversight.
Families of the victims have voiced deep frustration over the vague and
inconclusive nature of the preliminary findings. Many see the rush to question
the actions of the Indian crew as an attempt to deflect attention from Boeing’s
potential liability, a strategy eerily reminiscent of prior tragedies involving U.S.-
made aircraft, including the high-profile 737 MAX crashes, where systemic
failures were initially dismissed as pilot error before later being exposed.
In an internal memo following the report's release, Air India CEO Campbell
Wilson acknowledged that the findings “opened additional questions” and
called on staff to refrain from drawing conclusions while the investigation
continues. His message underlines the complexity of the incident, and the
dangers of politicizing tragedy before the truth is fully established.
As international investigations proceed, it becomes clear that geopolitical bias
continues to shape aviation discourse. While American agencies and outlets
push to absolve their manufacturers, other nations, including India, are left to
defend their professionals against premature and often unfounded
accusations. In this context, the role of independent, multilateral investigation
becomes more vital than ever to ensure transparency and accountability,
regardless of the origins of the aircraft or the nationality of its crew.