Aviation expert Sanjay Lazar and the Federation of Indian Pilots are calling for the release of the full cockpit voice recording and a judicial inquiry into the June 12 tragedy.
BY Navin Upadhyay
July 17, 2025: Amid claims that American and British media outlets are attempting to shield Boeing’s reputation by scapegoating the pilots of the ill-fated Air India Flight AI171, a Wall Street Journal report has intensified controversy by suggesting that the captain manually shut off fuel to both engines just moments after takeoff on June 12.
Citing sources familiar with early assessments by U.S. officials, the WSJ report says cockpit voice recordings indicate Captain Sumeet Sabharwal turned off the switches controlling fuel flow to both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. First Officer Clive Kunder, who was piloting the aircraft at the time, reportedly asked the captain why he had moved the switches to the “cutoff” position. According to the report, the first officer expressed shock and panic, while the captain remained composed.
Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), has reportedly sought access to the black-box recording. The report has triggered a backlash among Indian aviation circles and pilot unions, who argue that selective leaks and interpretations are being used to deflect from potential mechanical or systemic failings.
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Meanwhile, noted aviation expert Sanjay Lazar, in a post on X stressed that only the full release of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) can bring clarity to the tragedy, and criticized the selective leaks coming from U.S. media rather than official Indian channels.
Lazar also questioned why the AAIB and NTSB appear to be withholding key information and suggested that the lack of CVR disclosure may be part of a broader attempt to shape public perception. He called for a judicial inquiry in India to ensure accountability and full transparency in the investigation.
“So The Wall Street Journal now comes out with a direct allegation against the Commander of #AI171 which was only insinuated and spoken of in hushed tones earlier,” he said, adding, “ The WSJ report states that ‘whilst the first officer was panicking, the Captain reacted calmly’. Whilst I still do not buy it, only the release of the entire CVR can make sense of this tragedy.”
So the Wall Street Journal now comes out with a direct allegation against the Commander of #AI171 which was only insinuated and spoken of in hushed tones earlier.
The WSJ report states that “whilst the first officer was panicking, the Captain reacted calmly”.
Whilst I still… https://t.co/E1ccfXIAZK
— Sanjay Lazar (@sjlazars) July 17, 2025
Preliminary Findings Raise Questions, But Avoid Direct Attribution
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in its preliminary report released last week, stated that both fuel control switches had “transitioned” from “run” to “cutoff” shortly after takeoff, and were quickly moved back to the “run” position. Though the engines reignited, the aircraft had already lost critical altitude and crashed into a medical hostel, killing 240 of the 241 people onboard.
Experts say the term “transitioned” is technically accurate but carefully worded, as it implies human action without directly assigning responsibility. Pilots and aviation professionals reviewing the report have pointed out that the switches cannot move without deliberate input, and that the one-second delay between the switch movements is consistent with manual operation.
Pilot Union Slams ‘One-Sided’ Reporting and Lack of Representation
In a forceful rebuttal, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Thursday condemned what it called a “premature and biased narrative” that unfairly targets the flight crew. The union expressed deep concern over the portrayal of the cockpit events, accusing the investigation and international media of selectively using cockpit voice recordings to paint a picture of pilot error.
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“We register our dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the investigation process,” said the FIP. “We also firmly object to how the preliminary report has been interpreted and presented publicly.”
The FIP argued that the report lacks objectivity and omits broader technical and systemic factors. It warned against allowing a narrative to solidify before the full scope of the investigation—including wreckage examination, maintenance history, and systems analysis—is complete.
With global scrutiny intensifying, the FIP has called for greater transparency and due process, urging investigators to focus on data over conjecture. “Pilots are the last line of defence, not the first line of blame,” the union said in its statement.
As the AAIB prepares its final report, aviation experts, pilot associations, and the families of the victims are watching closely to see whether the full truth behind the AI171 tragedy will emerge—or be buried beneath competing narratives.
