NEW DELHI: The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) on Saturday raised concerns over the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau ’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, saying the investigation seems to assume that the pilots were responsible for the accident.
"The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry," ALPA India president Sam Thomas said in a statement.
The association also pointed to a "lack of transparency" in the process. "Investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel—especially line pilots—are still not being included in the investigation team," the statement said.
A preliminary report has found that the fuel supply to both engines of Air India flight AI171 was cut off within a second of each other, causing confusion in the cockpit and the airplane plummeting back to ground almost immediately after taking off.
The 15-page report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one unidentified pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, which the other denied.
Also read: The big question in Air India Crash - If pilots didn’t cut fuel, what caused both engines to shut down mid-air? Experts say 'cockpit conversation is alarming'
ALPA referred to a Wall Street Journal article published on July 10 that reported the crash may have involved the movement of the engine fuel control switches . The association questioned how such information was leaked to the media before the official release of the report. "A July 10 article in The Wall Street Journal references inadvertent movement of the fuel control switches. ALPA-I questions how such sensitive investigative details were leaked to international media," the statement read.
ALPA also criticised the AAIB for releasing documents without proper official identification. "ALPA-I is concerned that the preliminary AAIB report has been shared with the media without any responsible official signature or attribution," it said.
The association again requested to be allowed to participate in the investigation process. "ALPA-I renews its request to be included, at the very least, as observers in the investigation process to ensure transparency and accountability."
On June 12, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, hitting a medical college hostel. The crash killed 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 people on the ground, making it the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.
According to a timeline in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, both engine fuel control switches—which are used to shut down the engines—were moved to the cutoff position almost immediately after takeoff. The report did not mention how this happened or who was responsible.
Soon after the fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one second apart, a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) pump was deployed to provide hydraulic power as both engines dropped below idle speed.
About 10 seconds later, the fuel control switch for Engine 1 was moved back to RUN, followed by Engine 2 four seconds later. The pilots managed to relight both engines, but only Engine 1 regained power. Engine 2 did not build enough thrust to stop the plane’s descent.
One of the pilots made a "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call, but before air traffic control could respond, the aircraft clipped some trees and crashed just outside the airport boundary into a hostel occupied by students.
"The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry," ALPA India president Sam Thomas said in a statement.
The association also pointed to a "lack of transparency" in the process. "Investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel—especially line pilots—are still not being included in the investigation team," the statement said.
On Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's Preliminary Report on 12th June AI 171 crash, Airline Pilots' Association of India says, "The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair,… pic.twitter.com/sYh5TW9HwC
— ANI (@ANI) July 12, 2025
A preliminary report has found that the fuel supply to both engines of Air India flight AI171 was cut off within a second of each other, causing confusion in the cockpit and the airplane plummeting back to ground almost immediately after taking off.
The 15-page report says that in the cockpit voice recording, one unidentified pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel, which the other denied.
Also read: The big question in Air India Crash - If pilots didn’t cut fuel, what caused both engines to shut down mid-air? Experts say 'cockpit conversation is alarming'
ALPA referred to a Wall Street Journal article published on July 10 that reported the crash may have involved the movement of the engine fuel control switches . The association questioned how such information was leaked to the media before the official release of the report. "A July 10 article in The Wall Street Journal references inadvertent movement of the fuel control switches. ALPA-I questions how such sensitive investigative details were leaked to international media," the statement read.
ALPA also criticised the AAIB for releasing documents without proper official identification. "ALPA-I is concerned that the preliminary AAIB report has been shared with the media without any responsible official signature or attribution," it said.
The association again requested to be allowed to participate in the investigation process. "ALPA-I renews its request to be included, at the very least, as observers in the investigation process to ensure transparency and accountability."
On June 12, a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, hitting a medical college hostel. The crash killed 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 people on the ground, making it the deadliest aviation accident in a decade.
According to a timeline in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, both engine fuel control switches—which are used to shut down the engines—were moved to the cutoff position almost immediately after takeoff. The report did not mention how this happened or who was responsible.
Soon after the fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF, one second apart, a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) pump was deployed to provide hydraulic power as both engines dropped below idle speed.
About 10 seconds later, the fuel control switch for Engine 1 was moved back to RUN, followed by Engine 2 four seconds later. The pilots managed to relight both engines, but only Engine 1 regained power. Engine 2 did not build enough thrust to stop the plane’s descent.
One of the pilots made a "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" call, but before air traffic control could respond, the aircraft clipped some trees and crashed just outside the airport boundary into a hostel occupied by students.
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