Pilots’ body opposes interim report on AI171 crash, demands judicial probe

THe Federation of native american Pilots (FIP) on th opposed the give up of any meanwhile cover on the Air India AI-171 crash and reiterated its demand for a judicial inquiry, with its president, Capt. C.S. Randhawa, arguing that incomplete findings could fuel speculation rather than clarity.Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad ahead of the first anniversary of the crash, Randhawa said the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau should release only a final report after completing the investigation.He said the pilots’ body has approached the Supreme Court and submitted multiple representations to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other authorities, raising concerns over the probe.The London-bound Air India flight, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed seconds after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, including 19 on the ground, after hitting a hostel building of BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar. One passenger survived.Randhawa said the direction of the investigation had raised concerns within the pilots’ community and alleged that the focus had shifted towards the pilots without conclusive evidence. He referred to the preliminary report released in July last year and said its reference to fuel control switches had led to speculation about pilot action, including theories reported in sections of the foreign media. He said such conclusions were premature.He also questioned certain aspects of the investigation process and said critical technical issues required closer examination. Randhawa raised concerns over the decision to send the aircraft’s engines to the United States for analysis and said such examination could have been carried out in India.Randhawa said investigators should also examine the possibility of an electrical disturbance affecting aircraft systems, arguing that such a scenario could have disrupted data flow to the engine control systems and contributed to the sequence of events leading to the crash. He said this aspect required detailed technical examination before any conclusions were drawn.According to him, the purpose of the investigation should be to establish the sequence of events based on complete evidence and improve aviation safety. He said issuing an interim report before key examinations are concluded would not serve that objective.Randhawa said the pilots’ body has written more than 20 letters to authorities, including the AAIB, seeking clarity on the investigation and requesting greater involvement of domain experts. He said all available data, including inputs from flight recorders and aircraft systems, should be examined before any conclusions are drawn.Randhawa also questioned the delay in interviewing the sole survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was interviewed nearly 10 months later, while efforts were made early on to probe the pilots’ mental health.