July 13, 2025: A wave of outrage has followed the release of the preliminary crash report on Air India Flight 171, which went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday identified a loss of fuel supply to both engines as the primary cause of the disaster, hinting at potential pilot error.
According to the report, cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot questioning the other about cutting off fuel to the engines—an action that was denied. This paraphrased exchange has drawn sharp criticism from aviation experts and the pilot community, who argue that the release is selective and potentially misleading.
“This is a gross misrepresentation of cockpit data,” said an official from a major pilot association. “You cannot base conclusions on a single line when there are minutes of recordings available.”
Prominent public figures also voiced their concerns. Lyricist and writer Varun Grover took to X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Shilling for Boeing. White man will always stand with the white man. Shame.” #AirIndiaFlightCrash.”
Influencer and former pilot Gaurav Taneja echoed similar sentiments, tweeting, “As expected ‘Blame the deceased Pilots’. They can’t come back to defend themselves. #Boeing has a lot of questions to answer!! BBC already gave Boeing a clean chit!
Aviation unions are demanding a more transparent investigation and a halt to what they describe as a “rush to blame” the pilots, who are no longer alive to defend their actions.
The crash involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick. The aircraft crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after takeoff, killing 241 passengers and crew onboard, along with 19 people on the ground. It was the deadliest civil aviation accident globally in over a decade, and the worst in India since the early 1990s.
The final report is expected in the coming months, with growing calls for all cockpit recordings and flight data to be released in full.