The tragic Air-India flight crash in Ahmedabad on June 12th, which resulted in the loss of 260 lives, may have been intentionally caused by one of the pilots, according to aviation expert Heinrich Großbongardt. In an interview with “Der Spiegel”, Großbongardt suggested the incident bears hallmarks of a deliberate act, potentially a suicide.
Großbongardt’s assessment centers on the abrupt interruption of fuel supply to the aircraft, occurring at a critical moment shortly after takeoff. He explained that the aircraft required maximum engine thrust at that stage to gain altitude and speed. The deliberate cutting off of fuel, he argued, directly countered this need, leading to the fatal loss of control and subsequent crash.
The expert, formerly employed by Boeing, Lufthansa and the pilots’ association Cockpit, stated that a technical malfunction appears highly improbable. Preliminary investigation reports indicate that the fuel regulators for both engines were switched from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within seconds of takeoff. Significantly, the switches were activated sequentially, with a one-second interval between the first and second regulator. Großbongardt asserts this sequence demonstrates deliberate action by one of the two pilots in the cockpit.
He dismissed the possibility of accidental activation of the regulators, citing multiple safety mechanisms designed to prevent such an occurrence. While the individual responsible for the fuel regulator switches remains unidentified, Großbongardt’s analysis focuses on the deliberate nature of the actions leading to the disaster.
