AI Plane Crash Report: Pilots' Union Objects to Premature Conclusions

Mumbai, Jul 16 (PTI) The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), a professional pilots' body, has expressed concerns over the preliminary investigation report on the Air India Boeing 787 plane crash, saying that assigning blame before a thorough, transparent, and data-driven investigation is both "premature and irresponsible."

The FIP, in a statement on Wednesday, also urged all stakeholders, including the media, commentators, and authorities, to "refrain from disseminating partial narratives or making unfounded assumptions".

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in its preliminary probe report on the crash that killed 260 people on June 12 said the fuel switches to the engines were cut off within a gap of 1 second immediately after takeoff and caused confusion in the cockpit of the Tata Group-run Air India flight AI 171.

Citing cockpit voice recording, the 15-page preliminary report, released on Saturday, said one pilot asked why the switch was cut off and the other pilot responded that he did not do so.

"At the outset, we would like to register our dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the investigation process. We also firmly object to the way in which the preliminary report has been interpreted and presented publicly," FIP President C S Randhawa said in the statement.

Noting that the report, as released,"lacks comprehensive" data and appears to rely selectively on paraphrased cockpit voice recordings to suggest pilot error and question the professional competence and integrity of the flight crew, the Federation said, "this approach is neither objective nor complete".

FIP, it said, therefore urges its members and the general public "not to lend credence to such premature conclusions."

"The FIP expresses serious concern regarding the preliminary findings and public discourse surrounding the tragic crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad," it stated.

"Assigning blame before a thorough, transparent, and data-driven investigation is both premature and irresponsible. Such speculative commentary undermines the professionalism of highly trained crew members and causes undue distress to their families and colleagues," the Federation said in the statement.

Aviation safety demands a steadfast commitment to facts, integrity, and due process, FIP said, adding, "We stand in solidarity with the crew and their families and reiterate our call for a fair, transparent and evidence-based investigation before any definitive conclusions are drawn.