International Pilots’ Federation Urges Caution, Warns Against Hasty Judgements On Air India 171 Preliminary Crash Report

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) has urged restraint in interpreting the initial findings into last month’s Air India flight 171 accident in Ahmedabad, after reviewing the preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on 11 July.

Highlighting the risk of speculation, IFALPA stressed that “a Preliminary Report is merely the means of communication used for the prompt dissemination of data obtained during the early stages of the investigation and only contains factual information and an indication of the progress of the investigation.”

The global pilots’ body reminded the public and media alike that the document, prepared under ICAO Annex 13 rules, does not yet offer explanations or assign causes.

“Whilst this preliminary Report by its very nature raises many questions, it does not provide answers, and any extrapolation of its content can only be regarded as guesswork, which is not helpful to the good conduct of the investigation,” IFALPA said.

Of note, the AAIB report contains no safety recommendations at this point. The Federation reaffirmed its support for investigators as they work to piece together the circumstances leading to the incident on 12 June.

“IFALPA urges all parties to refrain from speculation, allow the investigation to run its full and proper course, and avoid drawing conclusions from preliminary information,” it added.

IFALPA represents over 148,000 pilots across nearly 100 nations, advocating for aviation safety and professional standards worldwide.

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