Was Air India Pilot Suffering from Depression? Medical Records of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal Being Probed Amid Reports It Was a Suicide Crash

The medical records for the Air India pilot who died in last month's crash was reportedly handed over to investigators, amid claims that he had been suffering from depression and other mental health issues.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, was the lead pilot of the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 241 passengers and leaving just one survivor. Sabharwal—who had logged over 15,000 flight hours—had taken medical leave in recent years due to reported struggles with mental health issues, according to The Telegraph. Investigators are now probing if Sabharwal was really suffering from depression amid claims that the crash may have been suicidal.

Pilot's Health Issues Being Reviewed

"I have heard from several Air India pilots who told me he had some depression and mental health issues," said Mohan Ranganathan, a leading Indian aviation safety expert. "He had taken time off from flying in the last three to four years. He had taken medical leave for that," he added.

Sabharwal had also taken bereavement leave following his mother's death in 2022 and had recently been considering retirement to look after his elderly father, the outlet reported.

Aviation expert Ranganathan noted that the pilot, who underwent a medical evaluation in September last year, and would have been deemed fit to resume flying duties.

"He must have been medically cleared by the company doctors. They must have given the clearance certificate," he said.

It comes after a preliminary investigation into the disaster revealed that the jet's engine fuel cutoff switch was flipped just three seconds after takeoff.

The reason behind the switch being flipped remains unclear.

The investigation, led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, did not identify any signs of an emergency prior to the crash that would have justified activating the fuel cutoff switch.

Both black boxes from the ill-fated flight—containing the cockpit voice recordings and flight data—were recovered from the wreckage a few days after the incident.

Mystery Deepens About Crash

Air India has decided not to comment on the reports concerning Sabharwal's mental health. However, a spokesperson for Tata Group, the parent company of the airline, confirmed that the pilot's records had been handed over to investigators.

"He did take bereavement leave in 2022 following his mother's death, and his medical records were submitted as part of the investigation, and the preliminary report did not find anything noteworthy," the rep said.

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association earlier said that the crew aboard the doomed flight had acted in line with their training protocols prior to the crash.

Besides the passengers and crew, the crash also killed 19 people on the ground when the plane plunged into a medical college.

British citizen Vishwash Kumar Ramesh was the only person to survive the crash and was seen miraculously limping away from the debris just moments after the impact.

"When I opened my eyes, I realized I was alive," he said from his hospital bed in the aftermath.