The Ahmedabad Air India Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people remains shrouded in mystery even a year after the tragedy. The burning question: did the pilot deliberately bring down the plane?

The Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, striking a medical college hostel and erupting into a fireball. Only one person survived.

Investigators have determined that both engines failed because the fuel supply switches were turned off. Cockpit voice recordings reveal one pilot asking the other who turned off the switches, with the other denying responsibility. However, it remains unclear which pilot asked the question and which responded.

Italian media reports suggest Indian investigators have concluded the fuel switches were deliberately turned off by a pilot. But pilot unions argue an electrical fault in the lithium battery system could have automatically cut off fuel supply to the engines.

Captain Sumit Sabarwal’s body was found still gripping the steering column, with his uniform intact and shoes on. Experts say this indicates he was fighting to save the plane until the very end.

As the one-year mark approaches, the families of the victims and the nation await the final investigation report that will reveal the real reason behind one of India’s worst aviation disasters.