Air India Plane Crash: Pilots' Body Criticises US Media, Likely To Send Legal Notice For Blaming Captain

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has criticised The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for its article on the Air India crash in Ahmedabad. The WSJ claimed the crash was due to a "pilot's mistake" involving fuel control switches. FIP chief CS Randhawa argued that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report does not blame the pilots.

Randhawa expressed strong disapproval of the WSJ's allegations, stating, "Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the fuel control switch was turned off due to the pilot's mistake. I condemn the article by the Wall Street Journal. They said it was the pilot's mistake. They have not read the report properly, and we will take action against them through FIP," Randhawa told ANI.

AAIB Report Details

The AAIB's initial findings revealed both fuel control switches were in "cut-off" instead of "run" shortly after take-off. A brief exchange between pilots was noted: "Why did you cut off fuel?" one asked, with a reply of, "I did not do so." The report didn't specify which pilot made these statements or if it was intentional or accidental.

Despite this, WSJ's article accused Captain Sabharwal of cutting off fuel flow based on unnamed sources and cockpit recordings. The report acknowledged no mechanical faults but emphasised human error, which wasn't supported by official findings. "A black-box recording of dialogue between the flight's two pilots indicates it was the captain who turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane's two engines, according to people familiar with US officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the crash investigation," stated WSJ.

Expert Opinions on Speculative Reporting

Aviation experts and pilot associations have raised concerns over premature conclusions drawn by WSJ. They believe such reporting undermines ongoing investigations and disrespects those who lost their lives in this tragic event. FIP also expressed dissatisfaction with excluding pilot representatives from investigations and objected to how preliminary findings were presented publicly.

Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol advised caution regarding WSJ's report. He emphasised that AAIB's investigation is still in its primary stage. Mohol stated, "Data was recovered from the black box which was in custody of AAIB... I think their report is on a primary base... When the final report comes, everything will come out that what was the reason."

Details of Air India Crash

The Air India flight AI171 crashed on June 12 shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport en route to London. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash resulted in 260 fatalities, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 individuals on ground. Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder operated this ill-fated flight.