Air India Plane Crash AAIB Report | Global Aviation Expert, Pilots' Body Question Report

The June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad has entered turbulent air once again - this time over questions raised against the credibility of the investigation itself. In an exclusive interview with OneIndia, Texas-based aviation expert Mirza Faizan cast doubt on the preliminary findings of India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and said the report raises more questions than it answers.

Faizan, a globally recognised aerospace scientist and inventor, told Pankaj Mishra that the AAIB's decision to release the report in fragments rather than a comprehensive document undermines public trust and opens the door to speculation. "Why release crash findings in chunks? What is the intent behind publishing just a two-line transcript of the cockpit communication?," he stated.

It must be noted that recent statement by the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), stresses that pilots globally are alarmed at the direction of the probe, especially its suggestion of possible pilot error. "It's critical to focus on technical causes. Aircraft systems, fuel cut-off mechanisms, switch locks - these need deeper scrutiny as there are several mechanisms that might go wrong," he added.

Speaking exclusively to OneIndia, Faizan raised a hard-hitting point about the inherent bias in post-crash narratives. "Pilots who perish don't come back to defend the case, making it convenient to pin the blame on them," he said. Faizan cautioned against drawing premature conclusions and stressed that massive corporations-especially aircraft manufacturers-often seek to protect their global reputation, sometimes at the cost of transparency.

Faizan said he hopes that U.S' National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is able to help the probe in all possible manner.

Meanwhile, India's aviation regulator has directed all airlines to inspect fuel switches on Boeing aircraft, following the preliminary findings from the Air India Flight 171 crash in June, which revealed that fuel supply was cut off just seconds after takeoff. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the directive after both domestic and international carriers began independently inspecting the locking mechanisms connected to these critical switches.