AAIB Report on Ahmedabad Crash Faces Scrutiny from Pilot Federation

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has expressed “serious” concerns regarding the preliminary findings and public discourse surrounding the crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad. FIP, in an official statement, expressed their dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the investigation process, and with how the preliminary report has been presented publicly. The FIP contends that the initial report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is deficient in data and seems to selectively utilize paraphrased cockpit voice recordings to suggest pilot error, thereby questioning the professionalism of the flight crew. The FIP has called on all stakeholders to refrain from sharing incomplete narratives or making unfounded assertions. They have emphasized the need for a thorough, open, and data-driven investigation. The AAIB’s preliminary report indicated that both engines had been switched to “cutoff,” causing a fuel interruption. The report included a cockpit voice recording where a pilot questioned the other about the cutoff, which the other denied. The crash of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, resulted in 260 fatalities.