The Indian authorities are trying to determine if sabotage was involved in the fatal Air India crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month. The disaster, which involved a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, cost the lives of 260 people, 242 passengers and crew, and 19 people in the village below. The crash has shaken India and led to a full-blown investigation conducted by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The announcement was the first time the authorities had publicly indicated that sabotage or intentional tampering may have contributed to the crash, a day after national security and aviation safety concerns prompted them to reject those possibilities.
Crash Details: A Catastrophic Takeoff
It was on June 12, 2025, shortly after the aircraft had taken off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. The aircraft that was due to head to London Gatwick suffered a failure in both turbines seconds after take-off. The plane rose to an altitude of just 625 feet before going down and slamming into the hostel building of a medical college next door, where students and staff members were having lunch.
Radio communications recorded in the moments leading up to the crash hear a frantic captain, 55-year-old Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, screaming: “No thrust… May Day… May Day,” suggesting both engines had lost power. This kind of failure, experts say, is an uncommon and highly unusual occurrence, with some calling it “one in a billion.”
Government Confirms Sabotage Being Investigated
In the days after the crash, Indian aviation authorities initially considered mechanical and technical explanations. But new statements from India’s Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, indicate that the investigation now considers sabotage as one of the key leads.
Selected clips from CCTV and other crucial information are being scanned by several agencies, Mohol had said. The FDR and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) that make up the black box are also safely in AAIB’s hands and will not be taken overseas for investigation. Investigators are paying close attention to the possibility that fuel contamination, potentially resulting from intentional meddling, could be to blame for both engines’ stalling at once.
Sole Survivor Speaks Out
Among the tragic count, there was one miraculous survivor, 40-year-old British national Vishwash Ramesh. The 37-year-old had flown with younger brother Ajay, and while Ramesh survived the horror crash, this was not to be the case for Ajay, 35. Speaking in an emotional interview, Ramesh recounted attempting to purchase both seats together for the journey, but was forced to sit apart because of availability.
“I am all right physically, but I am shattered from inside that I could not save Ajay,” Ramesh said. “It’s a miracle I lived, but I’ll always wonder, why didn’t I take his seat?”
Ramesh subsequently met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed his condolences and assured a full investigation into what caused the crash.
Technical Evidence and Safety Measures
Aviation authorities are reviewing the entirety of the plane’s flight systems, as well as communication between the crew and the ground control, as they continue their investigation. The CVR is anticipated to yield information about the pilots’ conversations prior to the accident, while the DFDR, which can record information such as engine power, altitude, and system operation, can show what happened with the plane.
“These 30 planes (to be inspected today) have also been checked, which were grounded already,” he said, adding that a total of 33 Boeing Dreamliners operated by Indian carriers have seen inspections as directed by the DGCA. There were no technical problems discovered in these, which has lent weight to the idea that perhaps the disaster was caused by something external and planned.
“This was an extremely rare event,” he added. People should confidently continue to travel. All aircraft have been subjected to safety checks.”
Investigation Timeline and Public Response
The AAIB hopes to publish a full preliminary report within three months, but officials have warned that the final conclusions could take longer. The meantime, the families of the victims wait for answers, and tributes flow in for the lives lost, both in the air and on the ground.
Flowers and messages have been placed outside the High Commission of India, and candlelight vigils have been organised in cities in India and the UK. Aviation safety analysts are also adding their voices, noting that simultaneous engine failures are relatively uncommon and not usually caused by simple mechanical failure or fate.
