'Findings Tarnished Name, Need Fresh Probe': Air India Crash Pilot's Father

The father of a pilot flying the Boeing Dreamliner that crashed less than a minute after take-off from Ahmedabad, has sought a proper investigation into the tragedy. So far, only a preliminary report has come out, he said, alleging that it appeared to have been heavily influenced by the aircraft manufacturer and laid the blame on the pilots. This, he said, has led to speculation in the media that tarnished the reputation of his son.

In a letter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 91-year-old Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, wrote that the government is under obligation to "ensure professional, independent & impartial investigation into such accidents to prevent future tragedies -- loss of human lives". 

But despite the rules, the preliminary report has focused only on pilot errors and selective leaks have been made to the media, which reported that the pilot was depressed and deliberately crashed the plane. "They tarnish Captain Sabharwal's reputation, which is a Fundamental right," his letter read. 

The pilot, he said, was divorced 15 years ago and it has been three years since his mother died. "After that, Captain Sabharwal had operated more than 100 flights without any incident... in 25 years, he had not had a single incident," the letter read. His father also mentioned that he had 15638 hours of flying experience and was also a pilot trainer.

He said there have been two recent crashes of Boeing aircraft. It was revealed after the second one - an Ethiopian Airlines plane -- that Boeing had made some changes in the flight operation software and hid the fact from pilots. An investigation by the US States House Committee concluded that this was the "chief contributor" to the crash, he added.

Calling for fresh investigation, he said any findings "should not be shared" with the media casting aspersions on his son. Giving the ministry a week's time to respond, he said he would take legal action if his request was turned down. 

The Boeing Dreamliner Captain Sabharwal was piloting had taken off for London from Ahmedabad on July 12. In less than a minute, it crashed, killing 241 people on board and more than 30 on the ground. It had been the worst air crash in the country in decades.

An initial inquiry by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau had indicated that the fuel supply switches - designed not to move accidentally during flight - had moved from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' positions. A report in US daily Wall Street Journal had claimed that the pilot had moved the switch, drawing much protest from Indian pilots' organisations and the government.  

The final report is pending.