Air India crash: US body says media reports 'premature'
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is investigating the accident, had released a preliminary report last week which raised questions about the engine fuel cutoff switches.
Since the report came out, there have been several media reports speculating over the cause of the crash in Indian and Western media, pointing to a possible pilot error. The report itself has been condemned for not providing enough information.
What did the US agency say about the Air India crash report?
The NTSB is an investigative agency that investigates civil transportation accidents.
"Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a statement shared on X.
According to the AAIB report, in the blackbox voice recording , "one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff," and the other pilot "responded that he did not do so."
First officer Clive Kunder was believed to be flying the plane while Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was monitoring, hence it has been assumed that his hands were free to toggle with the fuel switch.
The switches were restored 10 seconds later but the plane crashed, having already lost thrust.
The report did not clarify what caused the engine fuel to cut off.
How has media reported on the cause of the crash?
Some media reports and aviation experts have speculated that Sabharwal could have been suicidal and intentionally switched off the fuel.
The AAIB had condemned western media reports for being "irresponsible" and drawing conclusions "through selective and unverified reporting," Times of India reported.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) sent legal notices to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, saying the findings were "neither substantiated by the official investigation nor endorsed by any competent authority," newspaper The New Indian Express said.
India's Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu urged the press and people not to "jump to conclusions" and wait for the final report.
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