Air India Pilot's Medical Records Under Scrutiny Amid Mental Health Concerns in Ongoing Crash Probe

Investigators probing the doomed Air India A flight that resulted in 260 fatalities is now reviewing the pilot's medical history following allegations that he had mental health concerns.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, aged 56, was said to have thought about quitting the airline company to care for his aging father in Mumbai after his mother passed away in 2022.

Mr. Sabharwal, with 15,000 hours of flight time and having worked for Air India since 1994, completed a Class I medical examination in September of last year.

His recordings were submitted to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) one month following the crash of Air India Flight AI171 shortly after it began its nine-hour flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick Airport .

The AAIB, a department within India's Ministry of Civil Aviation, is concentrating on pilot behavior instead of a mechanical issue with the aircraft after the release of its preliminary report last week.

However, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (APAI) stated that it dismissed the "tone and approach" of the investigation, which is backed by British and American aviation authorities.

Indian aviation safety specialist Captain Mohan Ranganathan stated, "I've been informed by multiple Air India pilots who mentioned that he experienced some depression and psychological challenges. He hadn't flown for the past three to four years, having gone on medical leave due to these concerns."

According to The Daily Telegraph Captain Sabharwal went on compassionate leave after his mother passed away.

Nevertheless, Mr. Ranganathan stated, "He must have received medical approval from the company’s physicians; they should have provided the certification."

Nearly all of the 242 individuals aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner — British-Indian man Vishwash Kumar Ramesh , 40 — died when the plane crashed into a medical student dormitory on June 12.

Initial evidence suggests that both valves regulating fuel supply to the aircraft's two engines were turned off at nearly the same time, cutting off the fuel source for the engines.

Inside the cockpit, one of the pilots can be heard questioning the other about why he "cut off." The second pilot denied having done so.

The exact details of who spoke what between Mr. Sabharwal and his co-pilot from Borivali, Clive Kundar, 34, who possessed 3,400 hours of flight experience, remain unspecified.

Residents of Powai, a residential area situated in central Mumbai, recalled Mr. Sabharwal as a reserved individual frequently spotted taking his father for walks during the evenings.

One mentioned, 'He was a loving son who always seized the opportunity to bring his father out for some fresh air.'

Neil Pais, a previous coworker, remarked that Mr. Sabharwal was a "true gentleman," adding, "He was seriously thinking about retiring within the next few years."

His father is quite elderly, at 90 years old, and he planned to take care of him permanently.

Savitri Budhania, an older neighbor of Mr. Sabharwal, remarked, "When he wasn't flying, he used to stroll together with his father during the evenings."

He was a devoted son who always seized the opportunity to take his father out for some fresh air.

A representative involved with the Tata Group The parent company of Air India stated that Mr. Sabharwal has not been on recent medical leave.

"He took time off due to grief in 2022 after his mother passed away, and his health documents were provided during the inquiry, with the initial findings revealing nothing significant," they stated.

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