'We're not a third world country': WSJ details US‑India standoff over Air India crash black‑box analysis

When two US black-box specialists touched down in New Delhi in late June, they were met not with a probing welcome — but with blunt warnings. “Don’t go with the Indians,” their colleagues urged. The caution stemmed from a sudden shift in plans by Indian authorities handling the crash of Air India Flight 171, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

A plan that raised red flags

Earlier that day, Indian officials proposed flying the American experts to a remote lab in Korwa aboard a late-night military flight. There, they were to analyze flight-data and cockpit voice recorders recovered from the June 12 crash that killed 260 people, including 19 on the ground.

But top US officials, including Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), were alarmed. Amid State Department warnings about terrorism and regional conflict, the idea of sending American investigators and sensitive equipment to a remote military zone was seen as too risky.

Homendy alerted the State Department, which intervened to stop the plan, according to The Wall Street Journal. The American team remained in Delhi.

A tense partnership, tested from the start

The episode highlighted deeper strains between Indian and American officials involved in the probe. While India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the investigation, the US NTSB, Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration, and GE Aerospace are assisting under international protocols — since the aircraft and engines were American-made.

From the outset, however, coordination faltered. At the Ahmedabad airport, AAIB chief GVG Yugandhar reportedly told the US team, “We’re not a Third World country… We can do anything you all can do,” according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Tensions rose further when Indian officials restricted American investigators from photographing the wreckage and relocated parts of it before they could inspect it. The US team also viewed India’s sequencing of investigative steps — instead of pursuing them in parallel — as a delay, especially in recovering critical black-box data.

Data standoff and an ultimatum

The biggest flashpoint came over where the black-box data would be analyzed. When Indian officials tried to move the recorders to Korwa, Homendy delivered a stark warning: “Don’t get on it.” She told the team to stand down and demanded the analysis be done in Delhi or Washington — or the NTSB would withdraw support.

Eventually, India agreed to conduct the analysis at its newly opened Delhi lab using US-supplied equipment. The move was a major concession and led to a breakthrough.

What the data revealed

As first reported by The Wall Street Journal, the black-box data showed someone in the cockpit had moved the fuel-cutoff switches — which killed engine thrust seconds after takeoff. While the switches were flipped back 10 seconds later, the loss of thrust sent the Dreamliner plummeting into a hostel, killing nearly everyone on board.

The data also revealed that while the first officer pulled back on the yoke in the final moments, the captain, Sumeet Sabharwal, did not.

The preliminary AAIB report, released on July 11, stated that one pilot questioned the switch movement while the other denied doing it — but did not specify who was who. The ambiguity has fueled speculation and global debate.

Mounting scrutiny, global stakes

US officials increasingly suspect the crash may be another case of deliberate pilot action — a pattern seen in past incidents like EgyptAir 990 and China Eastern 5735. FAA officials, speaking to The Wall Street Journal, said no mechanical fault had been found in the Dreamliner fleet.

However, Indian pilot groups and the family of Captain Sabharwal have challenged this narrative. They’ve called for independent court-monitored investigations, arguing the early focus on pilot intent risks sidelining aircraft and systems scrutiny — much like earlier cases involving the Boeing 737 MAX.

Safety Matters Foundation, a nonprofit, filed a Supreme Court petition in India, while the Federation of Indian Pilots also raised concerns over “speculative” conclusions.

Boeing, meanwhile, quietly brought sample fuel switches to the FAA to demonstrate that accidental movement is unlikely, The Wall Street Journal reported.

(This report is based on investigative reporting by The Wall Street Journal)