News Brief
Centre Says No Conclusions Should Be Drawn On Air India Crash Until Final Report Is Out
Civil Aviation Minister Naidu at Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad (File Photo)
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Saturday (12 July) urged the public and media not to jump to conclusions on the preliminary findings of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people on 12 June, India Today reported.
“The Civil Aviation Ministry is analysing this report thoroughly. Let’s not jump to any conclusions. Once the final report is out, only then can we arrive at a concrete conclusion,” Naidu said.
He also expressed faith in the country's pilots.
"We have the most wonderful workforce in terms of pilots and crew in the whole world. Pilots and crew are the backbone of the aviation industry," he said.
Initial findings from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) indicate that fuel supply to both engines of the Boeing 787 was cut off just three seconds after take-off.
The report states that the fuel control switches flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” position within a second of each other.
However, it does not clarify whether the action was deliberate or accidental.
The flight was under the command of 56-year-old Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who had logged 15,638 flying hours, with 32-year-old Clive Kunder, who had 3,403 hours of experience, serving as co-pilot.
Minister of State for Civil Aviation Muralidhar Mohol also cautioned against drawing early conclusions.
Mohol said that no conclusions should be drawn solely from the pilots' conversation, as it was a very brief exchange.
He added that the black box was decoded domestically and that the AAIB is carrying out the investigation without any external interference.
The crash took place just seconds after take-off, when the London-bound Air India aircraft collided with the BJ Medical College hostel building in Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of 241 passengers and crew members on board, along with 19 people on the ground.
