According to Captain MR Wadia, the head of the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), the group has submitted a legal notice against the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Reuters regarding their reporting on last month’s disastrous Air India crash. The pilot organization has accused the Western media, especially the Wall Street Journal and Reuters, of distorting the findings and placing blame on the crew. FIP chief described the articles as “irresponsible” and stated that they have harmed the pilots’ reputations by implying crew error. A legal notice serves as an official warning that typically comes before a lawsuit.
The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which was en route to the UK, crashed into a residential neighborhood in Ahmedabad shortly after its departure on June 12, resulting in the deaths of 241 out of 242 people on board, as well as 19 people on the ground. A preliminary investigation report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that the cockpit fuel switches were turned off mere seconds after takeoff, leading to the failure of both engines. The reason behind the manipulation of the fuel switches remains unknown.
“From the very first day… there were representatives of Western media dressed in captain’s uniforms asserting, ‘we are fully aware of what transpired’, ‘we are certain that the pilot erred’,” Wadia said. He further noted that there were numerous “implications” indicating pilot error from these media outlets.
“Such statements are utterly irresponsible, irrational, and illogical… to hold the pilots accountable when we are certain that they performed exceptionally well,” Wadia continued. “This led us to issue a notice to the Western media… requesting that they adhere strictly to facts and refrain from speculation.”
According to Captain Wadia, the reasons behind such reporting are simply about money and liability.
“If it is determined that Boeing is responsible for defective equipment, which led to the crash… Consequently, they have attempted to establish from the very next day that the responsibility for the accident lies with the pilots,” he said.
Although the AAIB report does not hold Boeing responsible for the crash, India’s aviation authority has mandated fuel system inspections on all domestic aircraft manufactured by the American company.
Captain Wadia refrained from speculating on the reasons behind the switches being turned off, stating merely that additional analysis is required. Nevertheless, he called on the Western media to refrain from attributing blame while the investigation is still in progress.
