‘Can Never Unsee’: Man Who Entered Air India Crash Morgue Reveals ‘Pilot Still Clutching Controls’

New Delhi: Nearly a year after the devastating Air India Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people, a man who entered the crash mortuary has revealed he witnessed scenes he "can never unsee", including the body of the plane’s captain still clutching the aircraft’s steering column.

According to a report published by the dailymail, a man who lost three family members in the crash said that he saw Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s body still “clutching” the aircraft controls inside the mortuary, a detail aviation experts quoted in the report say could challenge speculation that the pilot intentionally crashed the plane.

The London-bound Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into the hostel complex of BJ Medical College seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew members onboard and 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived the disaster.

Revelations Could Challenge ‘Pilot Suicide’ Theory

A 32-year-old Romin Vohra, who lost three family members in the crash, said he managed to gain access to the Civil Hospital mortuary while searching for the bodies of his relatives.

According to reports, Vohra had previously worked as a pathology lab assistant at the Civil Hospital during the Covid pandemic and used old contacts to enter the mortuary.

Describing the horrifying scenes inside, he told the Daily Mail he saw “things I can never unsee.”

The most startling relevations in the report relates to Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s body.

According to Vohra’s account cited by the Daily Mail, the captain’s body was placed separately from the other victims, and the pilot’s back was burnt but the front of his body, while his uniform remained largely intact.

Vohra further claimed that Sabharwal appeared to still be clutching the aircraft’s double-handled yoke, or steering controls, which may have broken off during the impact or rescue operation.

A hospital doctor present in the mortuary supported parts of the account.

The report states that India’s preliminary investigation into the crash included cockpit exchanges between Captain Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder regarding the aircraft’s fuel supply shortly before the crash.

The preliminary findings had triggered speculation that the crash may have been deliberate, though no final conclusion has officially been reached.

However, according to the dailymail Captain CS Randhawa, president of India’s Air Pilots Federation, said the  position of the pilot’s body could indicate he was actively attempting to save the aircraft during the final moments.

The report quoted him as saying that any responsible captain would instinctively try to regain control of the aircraft and lift the nose during an emergency situation.

Family Rejects Allegations Against Pilot

The report also said Captain Sabharwal’s family strongly rejects suggestions that he deliberately caused the crash.

According to the dailymail, investigators  questioned the pilot’s elderly father about his son’s mental health after speculation emerged around depression and personal struggles.

His family, however,  insisted the captain was dedicated, mentally stable and in good spirits before the flight. They have reportedly demanded an independent judicial inquiry into the crash.

Lone Survivor Still Battling Trauma

The report also revisited the story of Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, the only survivor of the crash, who miraculously escaped through a gap in the aircraft fuselage moments before flames engulfed the wreckage.

According to the dailymail, Ramesh is still struggling with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and grief over losing his brother in the tragedy.

The report claimed filmmakers are now interested in adapting his survival story, while his wife is reportedly expecting a child around the first anniversary of the crash.

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