‘Irresponsible, selective and unverified’: AAIB slams foreign media report on Air India crash probe

The bureau urged both the public and the media to avoid spreading “premature narratives,” calling such actions “irresponsible,” especially while the probe is still underway.

The statement comes in response to a report by The Wall Street Journal that suggested the captain of the ill-fated Air India flight might have cut off fuel supply moments after takeoff. The report also raises questions over the conduct of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s pilots.

“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.

“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.

The Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed on June 12, shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. The crash claimed the lives of at least 270 people, including 241 passengers. The AAIB has launched an investigation and formed a multidisciplinary team to examine the circumstances leading to the incident.

What the WSJ report claimed

Published Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal report states that the crash investigation is zeroing in on the decisions made by a senior pilot. According to the newspaper, cockpit voice recordings captured a conversation in which the captain appears to have shut off fuel to the engines just before the crash. The report cites sources familiar with the preliminary assessment of evidence by US officials.

The pilots involved in the flight were Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder, who had logged total flying experience of 15,638 hours and 3,403 hours, respectively.

However, the AAIB clarified that its preliminary findings have so far revealed no evidence of pilot error.