'Western media…promoting own narrative': Aviation minister on Air India crash
What's the story
Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has urged patience as investigations into the June 12 Air India plane crash continue. The incident, which took place in Ahmedabad, killed 260 people. Addressing the Lok Sabha on Monday, Naidu said that while there are many theories about the crash, it's important to respect the ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). "But let us respect the process of investigation," he said in the Lok Sabha.
Media scrutiny
Naidu slams western media
Naidu also slammed Western media for publishing speculative reports about the crash. He said these reports were trying to push their own viewpoint without respecting the ongoing investigation. "I have seen multiple articles, not only by Western media trying to promote their own viewpoint," he said. "We want to stand by the truth. Not what is happening with the pilots, or not what is happening with Boeing or...what is happening with Air India or any other stakeholder," he added.
AAIB
AAIB is totally unbiased: Naidu
The minister also expressed confidence in AAIB's work, saying they have done a wonderful job decoding the black box data in India itself. "They are very transparently looking into the process right now, and they are totally unbiased. The AAIB is...looking into the facts," the Union minister said. "We have to respect the process of investigation, and once that process of investigation has happened, then we can talk about what...how it happened and then the corrective measures," Naidu said.
Report findings
AAIB's preliminary report
The AAIB's preliminary report revealed that the aircraft's fuel control switches were moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' just after take-off, starving the engines of fuel. The AAIB's preliminary investigative report included a cockpit recording in which one pilot was heard questioning, "Why did you cut off the fuel?" The other pilot said, "I did not do so."
Safety measures
Checks made mandatory for all India-registered Boeing planes
While the AAIB investigation does not address whether the fuel supply was cut off intentionally,Wall Street Journal, citing a former US official, suggests it was a deliberate act by the senior pilot. After the WSJ report, the AAIB criticized international media for "selective," "unverified," and "irresponsible" reporting on these findings, urging them to refrain from spreading premature narratives. Following the preliminary report, the Director-General of Civil Aviation made checks on fuel control switches mandatory for all India-registered Boeing planes.