Italian daily claims probe found Air India Ahmedabad crash ‘intentional’, not mechanical failure

A report in an Italian newspaper has stated that investigators of  the June 12, 2025 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad pointed to pilot action, not a mechanical failure, though there has been no such official confirmation of the probe having concluded. The report published in Corriere dela Sera  claims, as per their sources, that officials drafting the final report mention that the crash was triggered after fuel supply to the engines stopped, not due to mechanical failure, but deliberate action. 

Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner took off from Ahmedabad’s airport on June 12, 2025 when it crashed seconds later into a medical students’ hostel, claiming 260 lives.

A preliminary report released in July 2025 by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already mentioned a key cockpit voice recording. In the recording, one pilot was heard asking another, “Why did you cut off the fuel?” The other pilot replied, “I did not do so.”

Investigators said responsibility is still not fully clear, but the Italian report states the crash occurred after both engine fuel switches were moved from ‘run’ to ‘cutoff’ soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was the pilot-in-command, while his co-pilot was Clive Kunder.

The Italian daily’s report has sparked reactions online, with users questioning the narrative from foreign media. Meanwhile, a  conclusive report from aviation authorities is awaited.