Indian Pilots Urge Further Probe Into Air India Crash
Pilot group suggests electrical failure may have caused the crash, contradicting initial reports.
An Indian pilot group has called for a more thorough investigation into last year's Air India crash, suggesting that electrical failure could have been responsible, rather than any error on the part of the pilots.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents over 5,000 members, submitted a letter to the aviation ministry making this claim.
The FIP's submission comes ahead of the expected final report into the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which occurred on June 12, 2025.
The aircraft exploded into flames shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India, resulting in the loss of 260 lives.
According to international protocol, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published a preliminary report just one month after the disaster.
The preliminary report highlighted issues with fuel supply to the jet's engines moments before impact but did not attribute this to any specific cause.
The FIP letter, dated May 1 and seen by AFP, offers what it describes as a 'technical note' proposing an alternative explanation for the events leading up to the crash.
The pilot group suggests that a pre-takeoff electrical disturbance could have led to unintended relay operation and subsequently cut off fuel supply to both engines without any input from the pilots.
In contrast to earlier media reports that suggested potential pilot error, the FIP emphasizes that according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), all credible technical causes must be ruled out before jumping to conclusions.
The final report into the crash is expected next month, exactly one year after the incident occurred.
The FIP argues that electrical failure should be considered a 'testable hypothesis' and demands a detailed analysis of the aircraft's electrical system to determine whether this was indeed the cause of the disaster.
Until such an investigation takes place, they assert that technical causes cannot be dismissed outright.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents over 5,000 members, submitted a letter to the aviation ministry making this claim.
The FIP's submission comes ahead of the expected final report into the crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which occurred on June 12, 2025.
The aircraft exploded into flames shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India, resulting in the loss of 260 lives.
According to international protocol, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published a preliminary report just one month after the disaster.
The preliminary report highlighted issues with fuel supply to the jet's engines moments before impact but did not attribute this to any specific cause.
The FIP letter, dated May 1 and seen by AFP, offers what it describes as a 'technical note' proposing an alternative explanation for the events leading up to the crash.
The pilot group suggests that a pre-takeoff electrical disturbance could have led to unintended relay operation and subsequently cut off fuel supply to both engines without any input from the pilots.
In contrast to earlier media reports that suggested potential pilot error, the FIP emphasizes that according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), all credible technical causes must be ruled out before jumping to conclusions.
The final report into the crash is expected next month, exactly one year after the incident occurred.
The FIP argues that electrical failure should be considered a 'testable hypothesis' and demands a detailed analysis of the aircraft's electrical system to determine whether this was indeed the cause of the disaster.
Until such an investigation takes place, they assert that technical causes cannot be dismissed outright.
