Indian aviation authorities will miss the one-year deadline for releasing their final investigation report into a fatal Air India Boeing 787 accident, according to a source familiar with the probe. Officials say they need additional time to complete their analysis of the aircraft’s engines.
Audio recordings from the cockpit appear to show conversations between the flight crew that support the theory that the captain stopped fuel flow to the aircraft’s engines, based on an initial evaluation by U.S. authorities reported previously. However, Indian crash investigators cautioned that it was “too early to reach any definite conclusions.”
Investigation documents and news coverage have revealed details about both flight crew members aboard the doomed aircraft.
CAPTAIN SUMEET SABHARWAL
The 56-year-old captain held a valid airline transport pilot certificate through May 14, 2026. His qualifications included authorization to serve as pilot-in-command on multiple aircraft types, including the Boeing 787 and 777 as well as the Airbus A310.
Sabharwal’s flight experience totaled 15,638 hours, with 8,596 of those hours logged on Boeing 787 aircraft. According to the Times of India, he contacted his family from the terminal before departure, promising to call them again once the flight reached London. A fellow pilot who spoke with him described Sabharwal as a “gentleman” to Reuters.
Following the accident, Sabharwal’s father petitioned India’s Supreme Court requesting an independent probe that would examine potential causes beyond pilot error. He stated that two representatives from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau who met with him following the crash suggested his son had deliberately cut off fuel to the engines after takeoff.
FIRST OFFICER CLIVE KUNDER
The 32-year-old first officer possessed a commercial pilot certificate issued in 2020, remaining valid through September 26, 2025. His certifications covered pilot-in-command duties on Cessna 172 and Piper PA-34 Seneca aircraft, plus co-pilot responsibilities on Airbus A320 and Boeing 787 jets.
Kunder had accumulated 3,403 total flight hours, including 1,128 hours as a 787 co-pilot. Indian media reports, citing family members, indicated he had been interested in aviation since his student years and began his pilot career in 2012.
According to Wall Street Journal reporting, Kunder traveled to Florida for flight training. Air India hired him in 2017, initially assigning him to Airbus A320 operations before transferring him to the 787 fleet. Family and friends remembered him as someone who enjoyed superhero films, taught himself computer building skills, and nearly pursued competitive gaming professionally during college.
