The commander of the plane that crashed in India may have had mental problems (6 photos)

Investigators are reviewing the medical records of the pilot of Air India flight AI171. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 279 people. Captain Sumit Sabharwal, 56, who had more than 15,000 hours of flying time at the time of the tragedy, had taken sick leave in recent years due to apparent mental health issues.





“Several Air India pilots have said he had depression and mental health issues. "He had been taking sick leave for the last three to four years," said Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert in India.

Air India chief denies pilot error in shutting off fuel supply caused the crash.



According to The Telegraph, Sabharwal took sick leave after his mother died in 2022. He was considering retirement to take care of his father.

The pilot underwent a medical examination in September last year.

"He must have undergone a medical examination by Air India doctors. They cleared him," Ranganathan said.





According to the preliminary report, the plane's fuel switches were turned off just three seconds after takeoff. It is unclear who did this or why. Both black boxes, including the cockpit voice recorders and flight data, were recovered from the wreckage several days after the crash.



Air India declined to comment on reports of Sabharwal's mental state.

Airline CEO Campbell Wilson said: "Over the last thirty days, we have seen a wave of theories, allegations, rumours and sensational headlines. Many of them have since been proven false."

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association said the crew acted within their professional capabilities.



British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only survivor of the disaster. He was spotted crawling out of the rubble.

"I opened my eyes and realized I was alive," the man said in hospital.