Air India crash: AAIB slams 'selective and unverified reporting' by international media

New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) As certain international media houses continue to plant unverified and fake news regarding the Air India Ahmedabad crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday cautioned against “selective and unverified reporting”, calling such coverage “irresponsible and potentially damaging to the probe’s integrity”.

AAIB reacted after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that a cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the ill-fated Air India flight, that crashed last month, allegedly indicates the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines.

“It has come to our attention that certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting,” said AAIB in a statement.

"Such actions are irresponsible, especially while the investigation remains ongoing. We urge both the public and the media to refrain from spreading premature narratives that risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process,” the probe agency added.

"At this stage, it is too early to reach any definite conclusions. The investigation by AAIB is still not complete. The Final Investigation Report will come out with root causes and recommendations," it noted.

Earlier in the day, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) said in a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry that the AAIB preliminary report on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has failed to sufficiently consider two plausible and previously documented technical scenarios, either of which could have triggered an automated shutdown of both engines of the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The association has urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to include more subject matter experts in the investigation. The pilots’ association has alleged that the preliminary report appears to infer or suggest the possibility of pilot error, without presenting any conclusive evidence or exploring well-documented technical failure modes previously observed in a similar aircraft.

Meanwhile, pilots' grouping ALPA-India on Thursday said the crew of the crashed AI-171 flight made every possible effort to protect the passengers onboard and they deserve respect, not unfounded character judgements.

"The crew of AI-171 made every possible effort -- till their very last breath -- to protect the passengers on board and minimise harm on the ground. They deserve respect, not unfounded character judgments," ALPA India said in a statement. “We reiterate our call for a fact-based and respectful discourse," the association said.

--IANS

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