The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in an Air India crash last year, stated he will continue to defend his son's reputation ahead of a new investigation update. He rejected media reports suggesting his son was at fault.
The investigation into the Air India crash is ongoing, and the father's efforts to defend his son's reputation highlight the sensitive nature of accident inquiries and the potential for media speculation to impact families.
The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the senior pilot on the Air India Flight 171 that crashed last year, has stated his determination to protect his son's reputation ahead of an expected update from investigators. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal rejected media reports that suggested his son was responsible for the crash that killed over 260 people shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
A preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) indicated that fuel control switches for both engines were moved to the 'cut-off' position, but did not attribute blame to any specific pilot. Audio recordings from the cockpit captured a conversation about the fuel cut-off, but the identities of the speakers were not confirmed.
Following the preliminary report, some media outlets, citing unnamed sources, suggested that new details were shifting focus towards Captain Sabharwal. These reports faced strong criticism from Indian pilots' associations and the AAIB itself, which deemed such speculation "irresponsible" and "unverified."
Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, who is in his 90s, expressed his frustration with the tendency to blame pilots after accidents, especially when they can no longer defend themselves. He highlighted his son's extensive experience, with over three decades at Air India and nearly 8,600 flight hours on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He shared personal anecdotes, describing his son as kind, soft-spoken, and devoted to his family, and mentioned that his son was planning to retire soon.
The family is awaiting further findings from the investigators, with Pushkar Raj stating that forgetting the situation is not possible if he is to remain alive and truthful.