New Delhi: New revelations in the investigation of last month’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad have shifted scrutiny to the flight’s captain, after a cockpit voice recorder captured what appears to be the manual shutdown of fuel supply to the engines moments after takeoff.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, a black-box recording indicates that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal may have switched the fuel controls to “cutoff” just seconds after the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lifted off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on 12 June 2025. The crash killed 260 people on board the London-bound flight.

The flight's first officer, Clive Kunder, who had just over 3,400 hours of flight experience, was recorded asking the more experienced captain why the fuel switches were moved. The report says one pilot responded that he did not perform the action, raising concerns about possible confusion or malfunction in the cockpit.

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in a preliminary report released on Saturday, confirmed that both fuel switches had moved from "run" to "cutoff" within a second of each other just after takeoff. However, the report did not state how or why the switches were changed.

Also read: DGCA orders fuel control switch checks on Boeing aircrafts following Air India crash probe

The loss of thrust from both engines triggered the deployment of the aircraft's ram air turbine — a backup power system typically activated in the event of major electrical or engine failure. Despite indications that the engines briefly restarted before the crash, the plane lacked sufficient altitude to recover.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson stated in an internal memo that no mechanical or maintenance faults had been found. The AAIB's preliminary report also made no safety recommendations to Boeing or engine manufacturer GE. Following the report, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing confirmed to aviation stakeholders that Boeing’s fuel switch locking mechanism was functioning properly.

The AAIB, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, Boeing, and Air India have not publicly commented on the report by The Wall Street Journal. The investigation remains ongoing.

These findings have placed renewed focus on human error, particularly decisions made by the cockpit crew in the critical moments after takeoff. Further analysis of flight data and interviews with aviation personnel are expected in the coming weeks as Indian and US investigators continue their joint inquiry.