>>510645995The switches were flipped off quickly and quite quickly flipped back. Both engines automatically restarted before it hit the ground, but the altitude remaining gave them too little time for the engines to spool up enough to produce meaningful thrust in their hot and high condition.
That means: if it was extended suicide, someone would have had to flip the switches, be quiet about it, lie about it when asked, but NOT misdirect or hinder the other pilot(s) from flipping the switches back on in any way, either out of passivity or because they're truly sure that the engines will not recover in time.
That is of course possible, but it's not all that plausible. We would have heard or read about more active interference XOR absolute stoicism from the perpetrator to the corrective actions of the other guy(s).
Feigning surprise about a super cold calculated premeditated murder attempt but NOT trying to prevent relighting the engines doesn't sit right with my understanding of people suicidal enough to kill hundreds in an extended suicide. They're either cool calculated and stoic (no response at all), or arrogant and insulting (like a Bond style villain bragging about his deeds), or crazy (which would make it likely that they want to make doubly sure the engines remain off and therefore fight over the switches, at least for a split second).
Neither of that happened. And I have never seen any man of Indian descent with the self-reflection or lack of self-esteem needed for self-hate. I've not seen one exhibiting shame, remorse, guilt, doubts about them being godlike etc. They're just not the type for that.
More plausible would be
Mechanical safeties for these switches were poorly maintained, built in backwards, removed, malfunctioning and no one noticed or cared.
Water bottle fell over on takeoff
Bottle hits the switches. Everyone confused for a second, flips the switches back but it was too late.
That sounds very Indian-like.