US-India Rift Exposed in Air India Crash Probe: Black Box Standoff Rocks Investigation
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The investigation into the devastating Air India Flight 171 crash has been marred by a tense standoff between US and Indian authorities, a recent report reveals. The June 12 crash, which killed 260 people, including 242 passengers and 19 on the ground, has exposed deep-seated rifts between the two nations. The friction began in late June when Indian officials sought to have American black-box specialists flown to a remote laboratory in Korwa, sparking security concerns. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), intervened, blocking the plan due to State Department warnings about terrorism and military conflicts in the region. Homendy made urgent calls to transportation officials and executives from Boeing and GE Aerospace, eventually securing Indian agreement to analyze the flight recorders in New Delhi using specialized equipment provided by the NTSB. However, the investigation has also exposed deeper divisions over the likely cause of the crash. American officials privately believe that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal deliberately crashed the aircraft, a theory that Indian authorities and pilots' associations have cautioned against. Preliminary data from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) suggests that the fuel switches were transitioned from 'run' to 'cutoff' in rapid succession, while cockpit voice recordings revealed the captain remained calm and the first officer panicked, exclaiming 'Oh s—!' in the final moments. The investigation has been marked by delays, with data from the flight recorders only recently becoming available. Despite the tensions, Homendy remained committed to the probe, saying 'these 10 seconds will be argued, debated, studied, and scrutinised for decades to come.' The standoff has highlighted the complexities of international aviation investigations and the need for cooperation between nations. As the probe continues, one thing is clear: the truth behind the Air India crash will be a long time coming.
