The International Federation of Airline Pilots’ Association (IFALPA), after reviewing the preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), has said that it raises many questions but does not provide the answers. The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA-India), which had earlier raised questions on the report and the transparency of the process, is part of the IFALPA.

The global pilots’ group has cautioned against hasty conclusions derived from the 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,” it said, adding that such initial reports are published within 30 days of the occurrence of the incident.

“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,” it said, urging all parties to refrain from speculation and allowing the full investigation to run its course.

“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 said.

Meanwhile, ALPA-India is considering legal action to be included in the investigation of the Air India plane crash. This follows concerns raised by ALPA President about the lack of transparency in the probe ahead of the release of the crash report. ALPA has alleged that the AAIB preliminary report shows bias towards pilot error. The association pointed out that the preliminary report, available on the AAIB website, does not bear any signatures. 

After the report’s release, ALPA expressed surprise at the secrecy surrounding the investigation and said that suitably qualified personnel are not being involved. ALPA-India President Captain Sam Thomas said, “We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots and we strongly object to this line of thought.”

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu clarified on Saturday that the report on the June 12 Air India crash is preliminary. He urged the public and media not to draw conclusions until the final investigation findings are released.