Mon Jul 14 12:15:03 UTC 2025: **News Article: Pilots Denounce “Reckless” Pilot Error Claims in Air India Crash Probe**
**NEW DELHI** – Two pilot associations are fiercely contesting early speculation of pilot error in the devastating June 12 Air India crash that claimed 261 lives. The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) and the Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) have condemned the initial findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), labeling implications of pilot involvement as a “reckless and unfounded insinuation.”
The AAIB’s preliminary report revealed that the engine fuel switches on Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport, were moved to the “cutoff” position moments before the crash. The report also included the dialogue that one pilot asked the other why he had cut off the fuel and the second pilot responded that he had not.
While the report stopped short of assigning blame, it ignited speculation among aviation experts, who suggested that the manual fuel cutoff could indicate intentional or unintentional pilot action.
The ICPA responded sharply, decrying the “speculative narratives” and particularly rejecting any insinuation of pilot suicide. “There is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage,” the ICPA stated.
ALPA India has further accused the AAIB of a lack of transparency in the investigation and alleges the probe is biased. “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,” said ALPA India President Sam Thomas.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has urged caution, emphasizing that the investigation is ongoing and premature conclusions should be avoided.
The crash, which killed 242 passengers and crew and 19 people on the ground, remains under intense scrutiny as investigators work to determine the precise cause of the tragedy.
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