I’d bet the pilot shut off the fuel on purpose, depression (mental illness) could be the reason.
From what I read in another thread over the weekend, it’s patently clear one of the pilots activated the fuel cutoff to both engines.
It’s an informed conclusion that the first officer is the likely culprit since he is charged instrument panel duties while the CO was preoccupied with piloting the aircraft during climb out. This opinion departs from recent news pointing fingers at the CO re his mental health following the death of his mother.
Stating the obvious: If the CO was flying the a/c and wanted to suicide himself with the a/c, all he had to do was go nose-down. Worse, the CVR allegedly contains a recording of one pilot asking the other why he cutoff the fuel, to which the other denies having done so. I would assert it was the FO who made the denial and that it was the CO who returned the switches to the run position. Assuming, of course, that the CO was flying the a/c (I have not seen that confirmed).
The passengers never had a chance at that altitude, nearly as effective as a bomb at cruising altitude.
Personally, I wonder if the jab played a role (ironically, India’s pilots demanded a jab mandate, the hysteria over there was so high).
I eagerly await the CVR and FDR details, as this crash places a heavy burden upon the airlines and regulatory authorities to prevent a repeat incident.