Mumbai, July 16: An outrage has erupted across the country over the Daily Mail's (DailyMail) unverified and irresponsible article, which claimed that one of the two pilots of the Air India flight AI 171 deliberately crashed the plane in Ahmedabad last month. In its article titled "Did 'depressed' Air India pilot deliberately crash plane killing 260 people because his mother died?", the UK's tabloid newspaper alleged that investigators are looking into the medical records of pilots, as it is claimed that one of them had depression and mental health issues. It must be recalled that the London-bound flight crashed soon after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12.

The news article published on July 14 further claims that Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who piloted the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, was suffering from poor mental health. The article also alleged that Captain Sabharwal had taken a bereavement leave following his mother's death. The British daily cited Captain Mohan Ranganathan, a leading aviation safety expert, who stated that the well-experienced pilot was "medically cleared" by Air India prior to the Ahmedabad plane crash. From Fuel Control Shut Down to ‘Mayday Call’: Highlights From AAIB Report on Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash.

Netizens Demand Action Against Daily Mail Over Unverified News

Netizens Slam Daily Mail for Sharing Claims Without Evidence

Reacting to the alleged claims, several Indians slammed the Daily Mail for claiming that the pilot was depressed and battling mental health issues without concrete evidence. Taking to social media, one user said, "This is not journalism — it’s pure gutter-level fiction targeting India," while a second one asked Air India to stand with the deceased pilots and sue Daily Mail. A third user wrote, "This is also an attempt to denigrating the image of Indians."

X User Says Air India Should Sue Daily Mail

This Is Also an Attempt to Denigrating the Image of Indians, Says X User

What Did the AAIB Report on Air India Ahmedabad Plane Crash Reveal?

Another user questioned Daily Mail's claims and asked on what evidence the British daily was tarnishing the reputation of a pilot with 8,200 flying hours experience and aviation background. The outrage against the Daily Mail comes days after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published its preliminary report on the Ahmedabad plane crash. In its report, AAIB said that the Air India Boeing 787 8 aircraft's engine fuel control switches were transitioned from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" position within three seconds after take-off, thereby leading to the plane crashing in just 34 seconds. Air India Plane Crash: Boeing Issues First Statement After AAIB Preliminary Report Into AI171 Crash That Claimed 260 Lives.

The preliminary report also stated that both fuel control switches, which supplied fuel to the engines of Air India flight AI 171, were turned off in quick succession, thereby leading to the shutdown of both engines. The report also found that one of the pilots was heard on the cockpit voice recorder, asking the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the other pilot responded by saying that "he did not". The Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad killed nearly 270 people, including 241 of the 242 people on board the flight and others on the ground.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 16, 2025 11:49 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).