July 13, 2025: Aviation safety expert Mark D Martin has sharply criticized the preliminary investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash, calling for a fair and unbiased probe. Martin, founder and CEO of Martin Consulting, accused the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of deliberately blaming the pilots while shielding the aircraft’s manufacturer.
In an interview, Martin questioned the logic of the report, which focused heavily on the pilots’ decision to move the engine fuel cutoff switches. “Why bring up fuel cut-off when the engines had already failed?” he asked. He stressed that standard fuel cut-off procedures apply only to functioning engines and insisted that global pilots would see through any attempt to scapegoat the crew.
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Martin also raised concerns over the timing and target audience of the report’s release, noting it was published at 2 a.m. IST, which aligns more with the U.S. business day than India’s. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, citing the global ramifications of the crash involving a Boeing 787-8 aircraft and its relevance to fleets worldwide.
Calling the crash “probably the worst air disaster in 40 years,” Martin condemned circulating conspiracy theories about pilot suicide, calling them baseless and offensive. He demanded government transparency and a balanced investigation to restore trust among aviation professionals and the public.