Investigators Examine Pilot Mental Health in Air India Crash

The investigation into the catastrophic crash of an Air India flight that crashed into a residential area is now focusing on the mental health of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. This inquiry raises unsettling parallels to two other major aviation disasters: the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in 2014 and the Germanwings crash in 2015.

Connections to Previous Disasters

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott previously suggested that the pilot of MH370, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, may have intentionally crashed the aircraft in an act of “murder-suicide,” resulting in the loss of all 239 individuals on board. The disappearance remains the most significant mystery in aviation history.

In a similar vein, the co-pilot of Germanwings, Andreas Lubitz, locked his captain out of the cockpit before deliberately crashing the plane into the French Alps, claiming the lives of 150 passengers. As the investigation into the Air India disaster unfolds, the focus has shifted towards Captain Sabharwal’s mental state before the incident.

Investigating Mental Health Concerns

Renowned aviation safety expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan disclosed that several colleagues of Captain Sabharwal have reported concerns regarding his mental health. “He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that,” Captain Ranganathan stated in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.

While Air India has refrained from commenting on these claims, a representative from the Tata Group, which owns Air India, denied that Captain Sabharwal had taken any medical leave. The preliminary report did not reveal any substantial findings regarding his mental health.

The investigation is ongoing, with a review of Captain Sabharwal’s medical records expected to provide further insights into the circumstances leading to the tragic crash. Notably, both pilots had recently passed a Class I medical examination, which assesses their psycho-physical capabilities, within the last two years.

Additional preliminary findings shed light on the tense situation in the cockpit just moments before the disaster. The cockpit voice recording revealed a frantic exchange between the pilots as they realized the engines were off. One pilot was heard asking why the other had cut off the engines, to which the other replied that he had not done so.

It was confirmed that there was no significant bird activity around the aircraft at the time of the crash. Moreover, all crew members underwent breathalyzer tests upon landing at Ahmedabad Airport and were deemed “fit to operate the flight.” The investigation continues as authorities seek to unravel the complex factors at play in this tragic event.