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NZ Herald
7 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Air India crash: Airline industry boss says controversial cockpit video recorders might be good idea in future
'But on a personal basis, I can see that there is a strong argument now for the inclusion of the video in the cockpit to assist in accident investigations.' All but one of the 230 passengers on Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick were killed in the June 12 crash. On Saturday, a preliminary crash report said a cockpit voice recording showed one pilot asking another why he cut off fuel supply to the engines. The report has sparked anger from the Airline Pilots' Association of India, which suggested pilots were being blamed prematurely for the crash. 'Our industry has always been very open in sharing information. We believe that any accident or any major incident that takes place needs to be investigated fully and reported so that everybody can benefit from the experience,' Walsh said. 'And based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording in addition to the voice recording would significantly assist the investigators in conducting that investigation.' The International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations (IFALPA) has voiced concern about recordings being inappropriately used by media and litigants. In a late 2023 position paper, it said pre-internet or pre-smartphone views of cockpit recordings had become obsolete. The IFALPA said some mobile phones and computers could survive aircraft accidents, and there was no global standard for protection of cockpit recordings. And on flight recorders generally, the IFALPA has said no on-board recordings should be released other than for accident or incident investigations. 'They should not become a tool to monitor and/or check the judgment, performance or ability which a particular pilot demonstrates or has demonstrated during the course of a flight.' The Australian Airline Pilots' Association voiced similar concerns a decade ago, saying financial and human costs of installing airborne image recorders would outweigh benefits. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau are continuing to investigate the Flight 171 crash. The preliminary report said downloaded flight data contained about 49 hours of flight information and data on six flights, including the crashed one. The take-off weight was within allowable limits and no significant bird activity was seen in or around the flight path. There has been speculation a pilot on Flight 171 may have had mental health issues. 'On the issue of mental health, this is an issue that's relevant to everybody in the world. It's not just unique to pilots,' Walsh added. 'Our industry is actually doing a lot in that area, but obviously we need to continue to do everything we can to ensure that safety continues to be enhanced.' John Weekes is a business journalist mostly covering aviation and courts. He has previously covered consumer affairs, crime, politics and courts.
Times of Oman
16-07-2025
- Times of Oman
Air India Plane Crash: International pilots' group cautions against "hasty conclusions" on preliminary probe report
Montreal: The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has issued a statement cautioning against hasty conclusions based on the preliminary report into the Air India 171 incident. The federation emphasised that preliminary reports are meant to disseminate factual data obtained during the early stages of an investigation and do not provide definitive answers. IFALPA highlighted that the preliminary report is not conclusive and should not be used for speculation or drawing premature conclusions. The federation noted that the report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage, and the investigation is ongoing. An official statement by IFALPA said on Monday, "IFALPA again cautions against hasty conclusions published by the media and social media based on this report. As a reminder, 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. In accordance with the provisions of ICAO Annex 13, such Reports are published within thirty days of the occurrence." IFALPA is concerned about the potential for media and social media speculation based on the preliminary report, which could be detrimental to the investigation. The federation stressed the importance of a thorough and professional investigation to determine the causes of the accident and ensure aviation safety. IFALPA expressed its commitment to supporting the efforts of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India in determining the contributing factors of the accident and emphasised the need for professionalism and respect for the victims, including the families of the crew and passengers, while the full investigation is conducted. "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 also notes that the Report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage. The Federation remains committed to supporting the efforts of the AAIB of India as they work to determine the contributing factors of this accident." It said, "The victims, including the families of the crew and passengers of Air India 171, deserve our collective professionalism while the full investigation is conducted." The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations represents over 1,48,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries worldwide. It is the global voice of professional pilots, providing representation, services, and support to promote the highest level of aviation safety worldwide. This comes after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India in July 11, 2025 released the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, which crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12. The report pinpointed the critical event as both fuel cutoff switches for the GE GEnx-1B engines moving from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" within one second of each other during the initial climb, approximately 30 seconds after reaching a maximum airspeed of 180 knots IAS. This cut off fuel to both engines, causing a catastrophic loss of thrust. The report found no evidence of mechanical failure, design flaws, or bird strikes. Fuel samples from the refueling tanks were satisfactory, ruling out contamination. The AI 171 crash of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, Gujarat killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
AI crash report: International pilots body warns against guesswork
Air India crash NeEW DELHI: Amid Indian pilot bodies' criticism of Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary report on the AI-171 crash, International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has warned against insinuation to reach a "hasty conclusion". "The report raises many questions; it does not provide answers. Any extrapolation of its content can only be regarded as guesswork, which is not helpful to the good conduct of the investigation. IFALPA also notes that the report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage," IFALPA said. "The victims, including the families of the crew and passengers of Air India 171, deserve our collective professionalism while the full investigation is conducted," added IFALPA, representing over 148,000 pilots across the world. Some details of the preliminary report were known to a section of the western media 44 hours before the same was made public, raising questions about its confidentiality.
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First Post
15-07-2025
- General
- First Post
'Raises more questions, doesn't give answers': Global pilots' body warns against speculations over Air India crash probe
The AAIB said the fuel switches to the engines were cut off within a gap of 1 second immediately after takeoff, causing confusion in the cockpit of the plane read more The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has said AAIB's preliminary report into the Air India plane crash, by its very nature, raises many questions and does not provide answers and urged all parties to refrain from speculations. In its preliminary report on the Air India's Boeing 787-8 accident on June 12 that killed 260 people, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday said the fuel switches to the engines were cut off within a gap of 1 second immediately after takeoff, caused confusion in the cockpit of the plane before crashing into a building. The AI 171 was en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Citing cockpit voice recording, the 15-page preliminary report, released on Saturday, said one pilot asked why the switch was cut off and the other pilot responded that he did not do so. While the initial report does not provide any conclusions, there are speculations in certain quarters that a possible pilot error could be a reason for the crash. '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 in a statement on July 14. According to IFALPA, the report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage and stresses that the federation remains committed to supporting the efforts of the AAIB of India as they work to determine the contributing factors of the accident. IFALPA claims to have 1 lakh pilots as its members from across 100 countries. On Saturday, Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA), an IFALPA member – said the tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias towards pilot error and rejected this presumption as it insisted on a fair, fact-based inquiry. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the statement on July 14, IFALPA also highlighted 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. Urging all parties to refrain from speculation, allow the investigation to run its full and proper course, IFALPA said everyone should avoid drawing conclusions from preliminary information. 'The victims, including the families of the crew and passengers of Air India 171, deserve our collective professionalism while the full investigation is conducted,' it added. Two pilot bodies of Air India – Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) representing narrow-body pilots and Indian Pilots Guild (IPG) representing wide-body pilots – have also warned against speculations based on the preliminary report. .
Time of India
15-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Air India 171 crash: Report ‘raises questions, offers no answers' Global Pilots' Body slams against guesswork on fuel cutoff
The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) has expressed concern over the initial report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) regarding the Air India AI171 crash. According to the global pilots' body, the preliminary report 'raises several questions but offers no answers.' IFALPA cautioned against interpreting the early findings as conclusive, noting that any extrapolation at this stage would be speculative and could interfere with the ongoing investigation. In a statement issued on Monday, IFALPA reiterated its support for the AAIB's efforts and emphasised that the families of those who lost their lives 'deserve our collective professionalism.' It highlighted that the purpose of a preliminary report is to present early factual data and should not be used to form final conclusions. Fuel cutoff and cockpit confusion documented in report The AAIB report into the June 12 crash stated that both engine fuel switches of the London-bound Air India flight were turned off, leading to engine shutdowns. It further noted that cockpit voice recordings captured a moment of confusion, with one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut. The response from the second pilot was that he did not do it. The report also confirmed that fuel samples collected from airport bowsers and storage tanks were tested at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation laboratory and were found to be satisfactory. The crash occurred just seconds after the plane took off from Ahmedabad airport and struck the residential quarters of doctors at BJ Medical College, killing 241 of the 242 onboard and several people on the ground, including nine students and their family members. No safety recommendations, IFALPA urges caution The preliminary report did not include any safety recommendations. IFALPA underlined that this is in line with ICAO Annex 13, which mandates the release of such reports within 30 days of the incident but does not expect safety conclusions this early in the process. 'Whilst this preliminary report by its very nature raises many questions, it does not provide answers,' the statement said. The association also urged all parties to refrain from speculation, stressing the importance of allowing the investigation to reach its final stage without outside interference. Debate grows, experts urge patience Following the release of the report, aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan speculated on NDTV that the incident may have been caused deliberately, citing the manual nature of the fuel switch mechanism. However, several former pilots and aviation analysts strongly opposed this view, stating it is premature to draw such conclusions without a full report. AAIB chief Aurobindo Handa also advised against hasty interpretations, stating that it would be inappropriate to assign blame until the investigation is investigations continue, global aviation bodies urge restraint and professionalism until all facts of the Air India crash are fully known.
