Air India crash probe studies pilots' psyche

New Delhi: Investigators in the Air India crash probe conducted a psychological autopsy of the two pilots who were operating the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft and perished in the accident, according to an affidavit submitted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the Supreme Court.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), and the father of Sumeet Sabharwal, captain of the 787 aircraft, had earlier moved the top court seeking a judicial probe into the crash.

A psychological autopsy is an investigative tool used for determining the mental state of a person before death. "It helps forensic experts figure out if an unexplained death was a suicide or an accident," said an aviation medicine expert who advises multiple airlines. "This is not something which is done in every investigation."


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The process includes interviews with family and friends to understand the pilot's behaviour and recent conversations. Doctors who regularly consulted him will also be interviewed to assess medications and their impact. The pilot's digital footprint will also be analysed, the expert said.

"The idea is to check if there are any markers or flags which could give some hint on his mental state before he went for the flight," the expert said on condition of anonymity as he also works with Air India.

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AAIB said it has received the final report of the psychologist.

The Boeing 787 crashed on June 12 last year, shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. A preliminary report published last year indicated the crash was the result of human action, without explicitly saying so. It found that seconds after take-off, the fuel control switches on both engines briefly moved from 'run' to 'cut off', severing fuel supply and causing a loss of power. These switches control fuel flow to the engines. On modern aircraft such as the Boeing 787, they are fitted with safeguards - including a metal lock and a surrounding guard - to prevent accidental shut-off.

The findings, however, have drawn severe criticism from pilot unions and advocacy groups in India.

AAIB said it will take another six weeks to complete the investigation, with the draft report expected sometime in October.

The bureau also said data from the engine monitoring unit (EMU)- a digital display system that tracks multiple engine health parameters - was received in May and is now being analysed alongside interviews with family members of victims.