Latest news with #AI-171
The Print
13 hours ago
- General
- The Print
‘More careful than colourful'—ThePrint's reporting on the Air India crash put facts first
This Readers Editor column considers ThePrint's approach to its reporting on AI-171 and the subsequent preliminary findings of the investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AIBB) released on 12 July 2025. When you're reporting on something as devastating, sensitive—and immediate—as the Air India-171 crash last month, it is crucial to remember the value of good journalism, amid the endless theories on the reasons for the accident. Good journalism requires good hygiene. That means you have to write clean copy and provide the audience with a clear picture of the events you report. You have to cut out all the frills, the speculation, the 'extras'—which might make your reporting more lively and interesting to read, but don't always give readers accurate, factual, verified information. ThePrint's coverage was descriptive but factual and based on reliable sources. When you go through the articles or watch the videos, you will notice that the reporters are being selective in their choice of words. After reading or watching most of the reporting, I'd say it was more careful than colourful. The day of crash The afternoon of 12 June was just another normal day at ThePrint. I remember that it was a Thursday because I was at ThePrint's office in New Delhi for my weekly meeting with colleagues. It was fairly quiet as afternoons go, with reporters out on assignments, and those in the office staring at the computer monitors or mobile phones. Suddenly, it came to life. I saw people rush to watch the television monitors, and as I joined them, I beheld a sea of serious faces around me. The AI-171 had crash-landed at Ahmedabad airport. Nisheeth Upadhyay, Editor News Operations, realised it was huge. 'Whenever a commercial flight crashes it is a huge deal. We knew this was a big story.' The immediate response was to put out a 'Breaking News' story with the little information available. Next was to check for an accurate reading of the flight's movements up to its fall to the ground. Since I don't work on the editorial side of operations at ThePrint, I began to feel a little redundant, and in people's way. So, I sat on the sidelines and watched. A quick edit meeting was convened and everyone present in the office came together to suggest immediate story ideas. 'We felt, instinctively, that we should report the news as it came through and could be confirmed, but also do stories that added value,' Upadhyay said. 'From the moment it happened, there was so much noise in the media and social media—everyone was playing expert. 'At ThePrint, we were clear: Be sensitive, give the information, don't analyse—just plain, simple facts and information that can be confirmed. No conjecture.'' The difficulty that arose was the lack of access to the facts of the accident—or to any immediate information from the site of the crash in Ahmedabad—ThePrint doesn't have its own correspondent in the Gujarat capital. In stepped, Rama Lakshmi, Editor, Opinion and Ground Reports, and her team to fill the void. 'We had to keep reader interest going,' said Lakshmi. She also had previous experience covering airplane crashes, which helped. 'I put on my reporter's cap and looked for different angles to the story until our reporters reached the accident spot,'' she added. The reporters in the Delhi Ground Reports team filed reports on past history and the context of the incident. From other commercial flight crashes in India and Air India's current fleet of aircraft, accounts of survivors in Ahmedabad, stories of people who suffered in similar plan crashes, to another sole survivor of an air crash, the revamp of Ahmedabad runway, and the last social media post of some victims—these were some of the early stories put out by ThePrint. Interviewing victims & tackling misinformation The most pressing concern was to get on-ground reporting from Ahmedabad. ThePrint's nearest reporting team was in Mumbai. 'We were unsure of flights taking off from Mumbai and being able to land in Ahmedabad,' recalled Manasi Phadke, Deputy Editor based in Mumbai, who reached the city the next morning. Luckily, the Delhi-Ahmedabad evening flight was on schedule, so National Photo editor Praveen Jain and Senior Correspondent Krishan Murari flew out. 'I have covered earlier air crashes—Charkhi Dadri, for example. So I knew what it was like on the ground,' said Jain. In 1996, a midair collision between two commercial aircraft over Charkhi Dadri outside Delhi killed 349 people. Krishan Murari had never reported on an air crash or any accident of this proportion. He'd reported on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terrorist attack in May. AI-171 presented a different challenge. 'After Operation Sindoor, coming to this, I realised you need a completely different kind of vocabulary. You have to be far more sensitive. I'd call it compassionate journalism,' he said. Praveen Jain and Krishan Murari reached Ahmedabad within 12 hours of the crash and visited the site, the hospital, and the mortuary. 'It was very hot outside, and even inside, the temperature was higher than it should have been. There was an overwhelming smell of the charred bodies,' Murari added. Together, they filed a number of stories over the next few days. Here are some of them: Meet the forensic dentist racing against time so kin of Air India crash victims can say final goodbye Air India crash: Inside Ahmedabad hospital morgue, bodies await DNA ID as doctors race against heat, time Confusion, debris & bodies at Air India crash site. Rescue worker first thought it was cylinder blast Air India crash: All 4 hostel buildings of BJ Medical College emptied amid site investigation This Air India crash eyewitness cheated death by a whisker—'a blast, then a fireball, just 200 m away' Manasi Phadke found the lack of official information to be one of the major stumbling blocks in her first few days of reporting. 'The media was the least important for them, so we had to source information wherever we could,'' she said, 'We had to be very careful, not speculate.' So, she had to piece together information. Here are some of the stories she filed: 11 DNA matches 48 hrs after Air India crash: Process of releasing victims' bodies to families begins The crash, the rescue & aftermath—Inside the first 36 hours at ground zero of Air India crash Behind the scenes of Gujarat's Air India crash response—4 IAS officers, 36 DNA experts & 230 teams Medical college's exam hall turns into DNA sampling centre. For victims' kin, it's the longest test yet After a week's search, family working in hostel mess cremates mother & 2-yr-old killed in Air India crash Phadke, Jain and Murari turned to doctors, workers, and the families of the victims. 'Families presented a challenge, a lot of them were angry. You can't just walk up to them and say, 'Kya hua?'. 'We had to be sensitive—I didn't use the camera immediately—I waited till they were at ease,' recalled Praveen Jain. As far as possible, he tried to click pictures from a distance. Even, then, one family member of a victim scolded him for taking pictures and Jain immediately apologised. Phadke said she had to make people feel comfortable before they spoke. Some like to speak – 'I am still in touch with at least one relative,' she said, adding, 'You have to talk around the subject, be conversational.' Also read: Inside ThePrint's mailbox—readers bring us praise, critique, and everything in between Unpacking investigation report Back in Delhi, Bismee Taskin, Principal Correspondent, was keeping an eye out for government communications. 'My job was to get in touch with the DGCA, the civil aviation ministry. To confirm information, verify it with at least two reliable sources,' she explained. She was also in touch with former pilots of Air India. When the preliminary report was released on 12 July, she reported it. 'Preliminary report is like an FIR,' said Taskin, 'No conclusions should be based on it. You have to wait till the final report for probable cause.' Taskin's stories, therefore, were straightforward, simply putting out what the report stated. Have a look: Air India crash spotlights 2018 advisory on Boeing switches installed with locking feature disengaged Air India crash preliminary report: A look at what fuel switches are designed to do & built-in safeguards Throughout the last month and a half, victims' families, aviation experts and the average reader want to know what brought the aircraft down? Why did it crash? There are so many technical details to it—and a lay person, with no understanding of them was prey to various theories doing the rounds. Nisheeth Upadhyay is, in his own words, an 'aviation nut''. Thus, it was possible for him to understand the complex (mal)functioning of an aircraft and to explain it in simple language. 'I was very careful not to act as an authority on the subject, just to describe what we knew had happened and to explain,'' he said, 'No aviation experting.'' On the preliminary report, which led to so much speculation and finger-pointing to pilot error in some foreign news media such as the Wall Street Journal, Upadhyay said only the final report mattered: 'There is not enough evidence to attribute blame. And so, ThePrint's line was that—there's not enough information to reach a conclusion.' I would recommend you watch his videos: they are clear, concise, and to the point, factual—without unnecessary opinion or speculation. I know I learned a great deal from them. The common thread in ThePrint's reporting—from the ground and Delhi—was to keep it simple, stick to verified facts and attribute views clearly. I have one suggestion newsrooms like ThePrint could consider: After tough assignments in the field, reporters may need some assistance in dealing with the traumas they witness. It can be overwhelming, especially for young reporters. Counselling is one option, and a few days' leave may help them cope better. Shailaja Bajpai is ThePrint's Readers' Editor. Please write in with your views and complaints to (Edited by Ratan Priya)
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
31 operational aircraft inspected after Air India crash: Minister of State for Civil Aviation
Following the crash of Air India flight AI-171 at Ahmedabad, 31 operational aircraft of the airline were inspected and there were minor findings observed in eight aircraft, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. 'Out of total 33 aircraft, 31 operational aircraft have been inspected wherein minor findings were observed in 8 aircraft. These aircraft have been released for operation post rectification. The remaining 2 aircraft are under scheduled maintenance,' he said. Responding to a question raised by DMK MP Kanimozhi NVN Somu in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Mohol said, the eight aircraft were pressed into operations after rectification. Mr Mohol said, Director General, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) ordered an investigation after the air crash. Also, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered Air India to do additional checks on all 33 Boeing 787-8/9, he added. He noted that DGCA has a systematic safety oversight mechanism to check the compliance of Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements for all the aircraft and the airport operators. 'The safety oversight process includes regular and periodic audits, spot checks, night surveillance and ramp inspections across all operators, including continuous oversight of maintenance practices,' he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Aircraft crashes to regulatory hurdles: Despite several challenges, Boeing may be benefitting big from Donald Trump's trade war
The US aerospace giant has globally been in the news for all the wrong reasons. US President Donald Trump's trade war seems to be benefitting one aviation sector giant in America - Boeing! As Trump seals trade deals with countries around the world, he is also bringing in deals, and Boeing is reaping the rewards. Boeing is bagging new orders through these trade deals which could prove advantageous for the company as it recovers from recent difficulties, according to a New York Times report. Additionally, these deals enable Trump to demonstrate the effectiveness of his distinctive trade strategies in supporting American industry. Boeing's Recent Troubles The US aerospace giant has globally been in the news for all the wrong reasons - the biggest being the recent crash of Air India 's AI-171 aircraft which was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Investigations on the cause of the crash, which killed all but onboard, are ongoing. Additionally, Boeing faces critical challenges before it can convert its new orders into revenue. The manufacturer lags significantly in obtaining regulatory clearance for key aircraft models, including both the smallest and largest versions of the 737 Max, as well as the 777-9, which initiated FAA certification test flights twelve months ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Mini House for 60 sqm for Seniors with Toilet and Bath (Price May Surprise You) Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo Boeing's operational difficulties have created significant setbacks. Following two tragic crashes, its bestselling 737 Max was suspended from service for approximately 24 months. A recent Reuters report quoted FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford saying that Boeing hasn't requested the removal of the 38-plane monthly production limit for 737 MAX aircraft. The agency will conduct a thorough assessment of the manufacturer's supply chain before reaching any conclusions. The production restriction was established by the FAA following a January 2024 incident where an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 aircraft experienced an emergency situation mid-flight due to missing crucial bolts. In June this year, The National Transportation Safety Board issued a stern critique regarding Boeing's inadequate safety measures, which led to the cabin panel blowout incident on a 737 MAX 9 aircraft in January 2024. The incident triggered a significant crisis for the aircraft manufacturer. According to a Reuters report, the safety board delivered a scathing assessment of Boeing's safety protocols and highlighted the company's oversight failure in installing four crucial bolts during the production of an Alaska Airlines MAX 9. Meanwhile, Boeing's suppliers may face financial strain due to Trump's imposed tariffs, whilst potential retaliatory measures from trading partners, particularly the European Union, could adversely affect the aircraft manufacturer's business. Boeing New Order Book Industry experts suggest that the trade agreements could lead to additional orders, as potential buyers might feel compelled to secure their positions now to avoid future delays. Aircraft ordered at present will be delivered in subsequent years. Recent announcements include orders for numerous Boeing aircraft from Indonesia and Japan this month, following earlier agreements with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. However, aviation industry experts express doubt about the necessity of US trade negotiators' intervention in securing Boeing aircraft orders. The procurement of aircraft involves meticulous planning by airlines, including state-owned carriers, spanning several months to years. The limited choice between Boeing and Airbus, the sole manufacturers of large commercial aircraft, further influences purchasing decisions. Nevertheless, analysts acknowledge the strategic emphasis placed by Trump's administration on Boeing contracts within trade agreements. This focus aligns with Boeing's significant role as a major American employer and prominent export contributor. The financial markets have responded positively to the new order announcements, with Boeing's stock value showing consistent growth since April, coinciding with Trump's introduction of tariffs. The company's CEO Kelly Ortberg accompanied Trump during his Middle East visit in May when the Qatar agreement was disclosed. "If the president of the country says, 'Come with me and be certain that we sign something big that says there will be many jobs in the US,' what will you do?" said Adam Pilarski, president of Avitas, an aviation consulting firm, according to the New York Times report. However, Pilarski and additional industry specialists advised that these orders might not be as significant as they appeared. Trump's Role Overstated? The specifics of these agreements remain largely undisclosed, indicating ongoing complex discussions between the aircraft manufacturer and various airlines. A case in point from this month shows Trump's announcement of Indonesia's commitment to 50 Boeing aircraft, whilst an Indonesian official later clarified that negotiations were still ongoing between Garuda, their state carrier, and Boeing. "I suspect these orders are, as we used to joke at air shows, MOUTHLs — memoranda of understanding to have lunch," said Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm. "The real hard work of contract negotiation and finance package negotiation takes place after the president's plane has left the country,' he said according to the New York Times report. Industry analysts suggest that many of these orders would likely have materialised regardless of Trump's involvement. In May, Qatar Airways, a significant international carrier, confirmed a substantial order of 150 Boeing wide-body aircraft. This particular announcement was notably comprehensive in its details. Whilst political influence may drive some orders, circumstances can shift substantially before aircraft delivery. Both Boeing and Airbus maintain extensive order books spanning multiple years of manufacturing. Airlines retain the option to withdraw from agreements, albeit potentially losing deposits. Additionally, carriers can request delivery postponements or order reductions. Manufacturers might accommodate such adjustments, particularly if it enables them to redirect aircraft to other airlines with urgent requirements for new aircraft. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. 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Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
112 Air India pilots took sick leave 4 days after Ahmedabad crash
At least 112 Air India pilots reported sick four days after the airline's Ahmedabad-Gatwick flight crashed 33 seconds after taking off, killing all but one of the 242 people on board and another 19 people on the ground, the government told Parliament on Thursday. A firefighter stands next to the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, in Ahmedabad, India, June 13, 2025.(Reuters) On average, Air India — which has an estimated 1,700 pilots — sees close to 50 of them report in sick on a daily basis, a person aware of the matter said, asking not to be named. The government said the airline reported a 'minor increase' in sick leaves after the June 12 crash. 'Air India reported a minor increase in sick leaves reported by pilots across all fleets in the aftermath of the AI-171 accident. On 16.06.202, a total of 112 pilots reported sick, comprising 51 commanders (P1) and 61 first officers (P2),' said minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply. Also Read | Completed fuel switch inspections, no issues found: Air India He was responding to BJP MP Jai Prakash,whether it is a fact that in the aftermath of the Air India-171 crash, Air India has been experiencing mass sick reporting by its flight crew members; whether the Government has taken remedial measures such as holding post-trauma mental health workshops to mitigate their stress. The airline official cited above added that there had been an increase in pilots reporting they were unwell the day after the incident. 'The spike was very minor in the beginning and it peaked on June 16,' this person added. 'DGCA has already issued a medical circular regarding mental health of flight crews and air traffic controllers (ATCOs) on 22 Feb 2023, which lays down guidelines for operators (scheduled and non-scheduled) and DGCA-empanelled medical examiners,' Mohol said. Also Read | Minor increase in sick leaves by Air India pilots after Ahmedabad crash: Centre He added that the guidelines include 'quick and effective methods to assess mental health that can easily be performed by the DGCA-empanelled medical examiners during the Class 1/2/3 medical examination.' The government has also introduced a standalone, customised training capsule for flight crew and ATCOs to help manage the adverse effects of mental health conditions, it stated, the written reply added. Also Read | AAIB ropes in veteran pilot Captain RS Sandhu in Air India crash probe 'Additionally, on mental health monitoring, the organisations (scheduled and non-scheduled operators, FTOs and AAI (Airports Authority of India) were also advised to have a Peer Support Programme (PSP) in place for their employees. The organisations are required to enable, facilitate and ensure access to this proactive and non-punitive programme that will assist and support flight crew/ATCOs in recognising, coping with and overcoming any problem,' the minister said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
With more AI pilots reporting sick after Gujarat crash, DGCA issues circular on mental health
With more AI pilots reporting sick after Gujarat crash, DGCA issues circular on mental health NEW DELHI: Air India has reported an increase in sick leaves by pilots in the aftermath of the AI-171 crash on June 12, prompting Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to ask airlines to take steps for mental wellbeing of crew members. "Air India's 112 pilots, comprising 51 commanders and 61 first officers, reported sick on June 16... DGCA has already issued a medical circular regarding mental health of flight crews and air traffic controllers," MoS for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol told Lok Sabha had earlier this month directed Indian carriers, particularly the major ones like Air India and IndiGo, to hold a post-trauma mental health workshop for their flight crew. Several pilots, especially of Boeing 787 that crashed in Ahmedabad last month, have been reporting trauma after the accident. "The conversation in cockpits these days is mostly limited to what could have caused the crash. What is it that really went wrong? That is really eating us up. We are not buying the pilot suicide theory that has been fuelled by AAIB's extremely questionable preliminary report," said multiple pilots. The DGCA medical circular advises "quick and effective methods to assess mental health that can easily be performed by DGCA empanelled medical examiners, and the introduction of a separate, standalone and customised training capsule for the flight crew/ATCOs to recognise and manage the adverse effects of mental health conditions".
