Ahmedabad Air India Crash: US Body Backs AAIB’s Probe, Calls Western Media Report On Pilot Error ‘Speculative’
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Ahmedabad Air India Crash: US Body Backs AAIB’s Probe, Calls Western Media Report On Pilot Error ‘Speculative’
The American National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has now backed the Indian agency. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy extended full support to its public appeal. She also called the recent media report suggesting pilot error “speculative and premature” The Wall Street Journal report suggested that the captain of the Air India 171 aircraft may have turned off fuel flow moments after takeoff. The Boeing 787-8 crashed on June 12 shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, leaving at least 270 dead, including 241 passengers.
After the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) dismissed international media reports on the Air India plane crash investigation, calling them “selective and unverified,” the American National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has now backed the Indian agency. In a statement released on Saturday, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy extended full support to its public appeal and said all investigative questions should be addressed by the AAIB. She also called the recent media report suggesting pilot error “speculative and premature.”
“Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB’s public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB,” said NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy.
AAIB rebukes foreign media claims on Ahmedabad Air India crash
The AAIB has urged both public and media to refrain from spreading “premature narratives” and asserted that such actions are “irresponsible” given that the investigation is ongoing.
“While the accident of this dimension has drawn public attention and shock, however, it needs to be appreciated that this is not the time to create public anxiety or angst towards the safety of the Indian Aviation Industry, particularly on the basis of unfounded facts,” the AAIB said in its statement.
“It has come to our attention that certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. 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,” it added.
This comes after a Wall Street Journal report suggested that the captain of the Air India 171 aircraft may have turned off fuel flow moments after takeoff. The report cast aspersions on the pilots flying the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and claimed that a cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots indicatd that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane’s engines. The newspaper cited people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation.
Boeing 787-8 crashed on June 12 shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, leaving at least 270 dead, including 241 passengers. The AAIB has initiated an investigation and constituted a multidisciplinary team to probe the crash.