'Preliminary Investigation Report Raises Many Questions,' Says Global Pilot Body On Air India AI-171 Plane Crash

Mumbai: The global pilots’ body remarked that the preliminary investigation report of the AI-171 raises many questions and does not provide answers. The global association also stated that the guesswork based on the report will not be helpful to the good conduct of the investigation.

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The aircraft accident investigation bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary investigation report of Air India’s flight AI-171, that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 killing 260 people, was received by the aviation industry with mixed reaction. While a few of the industry experts believe that the report has given a course of direction to the investigation, a lot of them are of the opinion that it showcases poor reporting and raises more questions than the answers it provides.

Three days after the report was released, the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) issued a statement on behalf of the global pilot fraternity raising concerns against hasty conclusions based on the preliminary report. It observed that whilst the nature of the report raises many questions and does not provide answers. It reflected that any extrapolation of its content can only be regarded as guesswork, which will not be helpful to the good conduct of the investigation.

As a reminder, IFALPA mentioned that a preliminary report is merely the means of communication used for the prompt dissemination of data obtained during the early stages of the investigation and only contains factual information and an indication of the progress of the investigation. It noted that the report has not suggested any safety recommendations at the stage and said that it remains committed to supporting the efforts of AAIB to determine the contributing factors of this accident.

“IFALPA urges all parties to refrain from speculation, allow the investigation to run its full and proper course, and avoid drawing conclusions from preliminary information. The victims, including the families of the crew and passengers of Air India 171, deserve our collective professionalism while the full investigation is conducted,” read the association’s statement.

Earlier, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (IPCA) denounced any speculation suggesting pilot suicide, calling it baseless and deeply insensitive. Similarly the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India) had criticised the early framing of the investigation saying that the tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias towards pilot error.