Boeing Under Scrutiny Again: Was US Media Protecting the Company? Captain Sabharwal’s Father Seeks Justice

New Delhi: A similar incident has occurred at London’s Heathrow Airport involving an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, raising questions about last year’s tragic Ahmedabad crash that claimed 260 lives. The spotlight is back on whether the US media deliberately maligned the late Captain Sumit Sabharwal.

The London Incident
On February 1, during an engine check at Heathrow, the fuel switch of Air India’s Boeing 787 (VT-ANX) moved from “Run” to “Cut-Off” mode on its own. The crew noticed the anomaly before the flight to Bengaluru. After repeated attempts, the switch locked back in “Run” mode, allowing the aircraft to depart safely.

A senior Air India commander told TOI, “The London incident directly challenges the assumption that the fuel switch movement during the Ahmedabad crash was the pilot’s doing. Earlier, the pilot’s actions were considered the definitive cause.” Experts now point to potential technical failures and even lapses in aircraft manufacturing.

Ahmedabad Crash Recap
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had found in July 2025 that the Boeing 787-8’s fuel switches shifted from “Run” to “Cut-Off” shortly after takeoff. However, US media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, reportedly began attributing the mishap to Captain Sabharwal before technical investigations were complete. Some reports even questioned the pilot’s mental state, despite cockpit voice recorders showing clear confusion over the switch: one pilot asked, “Why did the fuel switch turn off?” The other replied, “I didn’t turn it off.”

Recurring Technical Issues with Boeing 787 Fuel Switch
Air safety expert Captain Amit Singh noted that this latest incident is concerning because, as early as 2018, US aviation regulators had warned of potential malfunctions in the Boeing 787 fuel switch, which could cause engine shutdowns. The recurrence of such technical glitches has reignited calls for a thorough investigation.

The Pain of a Father Seeking Justice
The attempt by some US media outlets to blame Captain Sabharwal has intensified the suffering of his 91-year-old father, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, who lost his son in the Ahmedabad tragedy. He has approached the Supreme Court to demand transparency and accountability in the investigation, questioning whether the probe has been skewed to protect Boeing rather than examine systemic technical failures.

This raises a critical question: Was there a deliberate attempt to shield Boeing from scrutiny while shifting the blame to the deceased pilots? The company has faced multiple allegations in the past, including whistleblower reports exposing lapses in safety and compliance.