- Dreamliner crash investigation is ongoing with no conclusions yet, says AAIB
- AAIB urges media to avoid speculation to maintain investigation integrity and public calm
- An Italian report claimed a pilot switched off fuel, but AAIB emphasized data is preliminary
The government body that is investigating the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner has called reports that claimed its probe has been finalised as "incorrect and speculative".
The investigation is still in progress, and no final conclusions have been reached, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said in a statement.
The AAIB urges media organisations to exercise restraint and avoid premature speculation, it said. Unverified reporting causes unnecessary public anxiety and undermines the integrity of an ongoing professional investigation, it added.
The Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, in a report alleged that one of the pilots of the Air India Boeing 787 turned off the fuel switches in an "almost certainly" intentional act.
Alluding to this report, the AAIB said the preliminary report released earlier provided factual information available at that stage.
The final investigation report containing conclusions and safety recommendations will be published upon completion of the investigation in line with established international norms, it said, adding the AAIB remains fully committed to transparency, procedural integrity and the highest standards of aviation safety.
Air India flight AI-171 was going to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed seconds after take-off. The plane slammed into a medical college hostel, killing 260 including 241 who were in the aircraft.
What Supreme Court Said
Yesterday, the Supreme Court gave three weeks' time to the Centre to place on record the status of the probe into the Dreamliner crash. A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing petitions - including one filed by the father of Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command of flight AI-171 - seeking an independent, court-monitored investigation into the tragedy.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), said the AAIB probe is in its final stage.
"We are at the fag end of the enquiry, and the report will soon be prepared," Mehta told the Supreme Court, adding certain aircraft components had been sent to other nations for specialised testing.
Taking note of the submission, the Supreme Court granted three weeks to the Centre to complete the exercise and ordered that the report be filed in a sealed cover along with an affidavit detailing the procedural protocol followed so far.
Appearing for Sabharwal's father, senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan reiterated the plea for a court-monitored investigation, alleging that in previous instances involving aircraft crashes abroad, initial findings had attributed blame to pilots, only for subsequent inquiries to reveal technical defects.
The Supreme Court cautioned against making sweeping remarks against any particular aircraft model or airline without conclusive findings.
"Let us be very careful while making remarks against any particular brand of aircraft. Dreamliners were once considered the best," the Supreme Court said.
