Italian daily claims, “Crash caused after pilot deliberately switched off fuel control”

Karnavati (Gujarat) Air India crash case

New Delhi– In the Air India aircraft crash that took place in Karnavati in June last year, 274 people, including 241 passengers, lost their lives. The aircraft crashed within minutes of take-off. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing. Meanwhile, the Italian newspaper ‘Corriere della Sera’ has reported that Indian investigative agencies, in their final report, may state that one of the pilots in the cockpit had “deliberately switched off the fuel control.”

Karnavati Crash: Truth or Scapegoat?

An Italian newspaper claims the Air India crash in Gujarat was caused by the pilot “deliberately” switching off fuel.

From day one, the narrative seems focused on blaming the deceased pilot.

Is this a cover-up? Is someone being shielded?… https://t.co/YeoKV193XQ pic.twitter.com/UQRRAXLIgw

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) February 12, 2026

1. The newspaper further stated that no technical fault has so far been found in the aircraft during the investigation. It also claimed that cockpit voice recordings suggest that one of the two pilots turned off the fuel control.

2. Citing Western sources, the report said responsibility for the crash may be placed on the deceased Captain Sumit Sabharwal. Earlier too, there were reports suggesting that investigative agencies had indicated that Captain Sabharwal was responsible for the crash; however, pilots’ associations opposed that claim.

3. Suspicion has reportedly been reinforced by data from the aircraft’s flight data recorder (black box). According to the report, cockpit audio captures one pilot asking, “Why did you shut down the engine?” to which the other pilot responds, “I did not shut down the engine.”

4. The newspaper has also alleged that to avoid triggering major controversy in India, the final investigation report may be worded in relatively mild terms.