Unprecedented for both engines to fail simultaneously, says Murlidhar Mohol

The Indian government is investigating all possible causes of the deadly Air India crash in Ahmedabad, including potential sabotage, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in an interview on Sunday.

The tragic accident on June 12 claimed the lives of 241 out of 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. Additionally, 19 people on the ground have been confirmed dead, though police sources have indicated that the total death toll may be as high as 38.

Speaking to NDTV, Minister Mohol responded to questions about sabotage by stating,
“We are looking at all angles.”

He further remarked that the incident was highly unusual:
“It has never happened before that both engines have shut down at the same time.”

While some aviation experts have pointed to a rare dual-engine failure, Mohol emphasized that it would be premature to draw conclusions until the official investigation report is released.

A specialized investigation team has begun analyzing data from the aircraft’s black boxes — the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) — in order to reconstruct the final moments before the crash.

According to Air India, the aircraft was in good condition and operated by highly experienced pilots. The CVR was found on the rooftop of a nearby building on June 13, while the FDR was recovered from the wreckage on June 16.

Authorities continue to urge the public and media to avoid speculation as they work to uncover the cause behind one of India’s worst aviation tragedies in recent memory.