Pilots’ associations reject human error claims in fatal Air India crash

Two major commercial pilots’ associations in India have vehemently rejected preliminary investigation findings suggesting human error may have caused the fatal Air India crash on June 12 that killed 260 people.

The dispute centers on the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, which indicated the plane’s engine fuel switches had been turned off.

The AAIB report, released Saturday, refrained from drawing conclusions or apportioning blame for the disaster.

However, it notably revealed cockpit dialogue where one pilot questioned the other about cutting off fuel, with the second pilot denying the action.

No further details about this exchange were disclosed.

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) expressed its profound distress over “speculative narratives… particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide.”

In a statement issued Sunday, the ICPA asserted, “There is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage,” adding that such suggestions are “deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved.”

They further criticized, “To casually suggest pilot suicide without verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession.”

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The initial probe finding had led several independent aviation experts to speculate that deliberate or inadvertent pilot action might have caused the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India.

The ICPA’s strong reaction was partly in response to these experts suggesting that engine fuel control switches can only be moved deliberately and manually.

The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India), another influential pilots’ body representing 800 members, also voiced strong objections.

ALPA India accused the probe agency of “secrecy” surrounding the investigation, claiming that “suitably qualified personnel” were not involved in the process.

“We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots and we strongly object to this line of thought,” ALPA India president Sam Thomas stated in a release on Saturday.

ALPA, which boasts 100,000 members worldwide, formally requested the AAIB to include it as “observers so as to provide the requisite transparency in the investigations.”