- By Shibra Arshad
- Sat, 19 Jul 2025 01:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) issued a legal notice to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters over its coverage style on the AAIB report into the Air India crash in Ahmedabad last month. The federation has demanded an apology from the publications for what it called “baseless” and “defamatory” coverage surrounding the crash of Air India Flight AI‑171, reports news agency ANI.
A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the Air India flight crash at Ahmedabad suggested that the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner fleet were moved from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’ mode, leading to the devastating accident. According to cockpit voice recordings, one pilot asked why the fuel had been cut off; the other replied that he had not done it. The AAIB report does not specify who moved the switches connected to the engine.
ALSO READ: Too Late For H-1B Visa 2026? Here's What It Means For Thousands Of Indians?
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, ‘familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence’, reported captain deliberately turned off the fuel switches, a claim that Reuters also asserted.
"Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the fuel control switch was turned off due to the pilot’s mistake... They have not read the report properly, and we will take action," said FIP President Captain CS Randhawa.
The legal notice seeks a correction and full apology from both publishers.
An Air India flight AI171, flying to the United Kingdom from Ahmedabad on June 12, crashed into the hospital of a medical college just outside the perimeter of the International Airport, seconds after taking off. The devastating accident claimed 260 lives, including passengers, crew members, and a few of those on the accident site.