The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has denied the controversial 'suicide theory' that allegedly led to the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash last year.
The FIP mentioned that an official report claimed the pilot had cut off fuel to commit suicide, causing a backup power turbine to drop four seconds later.
Speaking at a press conference, Captain CS Randhawa, president of the FIP, said that a simulator test conducted by the pilots' body proved that a manual fuel cutoff takes 18 seconds to drop turbine. Hence, the timeline alleged in the 'suicide theory' is impossible. The backup turbine dropped much faster due to a major electrical failure that hit the plane first, not because the pilots shut off the engines. This power failure or a system glitch is what tripped the engine switches and caused the crash.
According to the FIP, the lone survivor of the crash saw the cabin lights flicker right before the plane fell, which proves their theory of a massive power failure.
Airline Already Had Issues, Says FIP
The pilots body alleged the airplane linked to the crash already had a known history of unresolved electrical problems before this flight. It further claimed to test this theory in a simulator using the exact weight and weather conditions of the actual flight, and the results are "undeniable".
The FIP has sent the evidence to Boeing and the government, seeking to stop the final report until the error is fixed. Additionally, it alleged that the government investigators sidelined Captain Sandhu, Boeing 787 expert, from the actual testing.
"They are ignoring an experienced pilot's input because his knowledge would completely disprove their "pilot suicide" theory," FIP said, adding, "We demand Captain Sandhu be put back on the team to make sure the truth about the crash is not covered up."
Suicide Theory Claim
On June 12, Air India flight 171, travelling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed seconds after take-off. The tragedy claimed the lives of 12 crew members and 229 passengers. The aircraft crashed into the hostel of a medical college, killing 19 people. Only one passenger survived the crash.
Nearly a month later the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report on the cause of the crash. The report indicated a conversation between Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kundar. It mentioned the cockpit audio, where one pilot asked, "Why did you cut off?" , while the other replied, "I didn't." This raised the speculation that a pilot error was behind the incident.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
