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U.S. NTSB and AAIB Warn Against Speculation in Air India Flight 171 Probe

The agencies warned that blaming the pilots before final findings threatens the integrity of the AAIB-led technical investigation.

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Debris of Air India flight 171 is pictured after it crashed in a residential area near the airport in Ahmedabad on June 13, 2025. Rescue teams with sniffer dogs combed the crash site on June 13 of a London-bound passenger jet which ploughed into a residential area of India's Ahmedabad city, killing at least 265 people on board and on the ground.
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Overview

  • NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has labeled recent media reports suggesting pilot error as premature and speculative, backing the AAIB’s call for restraint.
  • AAIB Director General G V G Yugandhar criticized unverified coverage and emphasized that the preliminary findings outline the sequence of events without attributing blame.
  • ALPA India has renewed its request to participate in the investigation as an observer under ICAO Annex 13 protocols to strengthen transparency and technical collaboration.
  • The Federation of Indian Pilots has served legal notices on The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, demanding apologies for what it describes as defamatory reporting implicating Captain Sumeet Sabharwal.
  • The DGCA has ordered precautionary inspections of fuel control systems on all Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft in India, and the AAIB’s final report is expected by mid-2026.