Pilots' Body FIP Expresses 'Serious Concern' Over AAIB's Preliminary Findings, Says Report Lacks Comprehensive Data

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has voiced strong concern over the handling of the preliminary investigation into the crash of Air India flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, urging caution against drawing hasty conclusions and publicly attributing blame.

In an official statement dated 16 July, the FIP expressed its dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the ongoing probe.

“At the outset, we would like to register our dissatisfaction with the exclusion of pilot representatives from the investigation process,” the statement read.

The federation also took issue with the selective presentation of cockpit voice recordings, which they say appears to infer or suggest the possibility of pilot error and question the competence of the crew.

“The report, as released, lacks comprehensive data and appears to rely selectively on paraphrased cockpit voice recordings to suggest pilot error… This approach is neither objective nor complete,” said Captain CS Randhawa, President of the FIP.

Calling for restraint, the federation appealed to media outlets, commentators, and authorities to avoid spreading partial narratives and speculative assumptions.

“Assigning blame before a thorough, transparent, and data-driven investigation is both premature and irresponsible,” it stated, adding that such discourse “undermines the professionalism of highly trained crew members and causes undue distress to their families and colleagues.”

According to a PTI report, the Federation has also submitted a formal communication to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, outlining several concerns regarding the investigation into the recent air crash and its preliminary findings.

In the letter, FIP reportedly pointed out that this is not the first time that systemic failures within Boeing aircraft have initially been attributed to pilot error or suicidal intent, only to be disproven by subsequent investigations.

FIP has called for reassessment of the role of TCMA/EEC/FADEC misinterpretation and mechanical faults, based on available FDR/CVR data and prior Boeing bulletins.

TCMA is Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation, EEC is Electronic Engine Controller, FADEC is Full Authority Digital Engine Control, FDR is Flight Data Recorder and CVR is Cockpit Voice Recorder.

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