AI plane crash: Pilots’ group seeks subject experts in probe

The Federation of Indian Pilots urged the government to reassess technical factors in the Air India AI-171 crash probe, criticizing the preliminary AAIB report for implying pilot error without ruling out known mechanical faults linked to Boeing 787-8 systems

Mumbai: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Thursday asked the government to reassess possible technical misinterpretation or mechanical faults in Air India’s Boeing 787-8 plane that crashed last month and sought inclusion of subject matter experts in the probe.

Flagging concerns about Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report into the crash that killed 260 people on June 12, the federation said the report failed to sufficiently consider or acknowledge two plausible and previously documented technical scenarios, either of which could have triggered an automated shutdown of both engines.

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FIP has written a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry raising various concerns related to the crash probe and the preliminary report, according to a source.

While appreciating the timely release of the preliminary findings, the federation also said the initial report appears to infer or suggest the possibility of pilot error, without presenting any conclusive evidence or exploring well-documented technical failure modes previously observed in a similar aircraft.

In the letter, the association alleged that it 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.

To prematurely and indirectly suggest pilot error in preliminary report of Al-171, without thorough validation or elimination of these known technical pathways, risks not only misplaced blame but repeating past investigative failures, the source said, quoting the letter.

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.

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released on Saturday, said the aircraft’s fuel switches were cut off within a gap of one second immediately after takeoff and caused confusion in the cockpit before the aircraft crashed into a building. The aircraft was operating the flight AI 171 fro Ahmedabad to London Gatwick.

While the report does not provide any conclusions, there are speculations in certain quarters that a possible pilot error could have also led to the crash.