Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has called for calm as investigations continue into the June 12 Air India plane crash in which 274 people, including 19 on the ground, were killed. "There are multiple theories (about the crash) floating... but let us respect the process of investigation," he said.
"The AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) is carrying out the investigation in a transparent manner... I have seen multiple articles, not only by Indian media, but also by Western media trying to promote their own viewpoint," he told the Lok Sabha Monday.
"The way we (i.e., the government) are seeing the investigation is through facts. We want to stand by the truth. And that will only be revealed when the investigation is complete."
The Aviation Minister's appeal in the Rajya Sabha follows multiple reports in the foreign press about what caused the crash, particularly after a preliminary report said the plane's two fuel control switches moved, within a second off each other, from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' positions.
This would have starved the engines of power during the critical take-off phase, when the aircraft was only a few hundred feet above the ground and the pilots had limited time - 32 seconds from take-off to the crash, according to the AAIB report - to take corrective action.
A final report - which should explain exactly what happened - has yet to be submitted.
But multiple press reports have focused on this element of the preliminary inquiries and also a cockpit voice recording in which the pilots spoke about the switches having changed positions.
READ | New Air India Crash Details As US Media Accesses Pilots' Last Words
A report by American publication the Wall Street Journal claimed the recording - the audio was never released - revealed the First Officer, i.e., Clive Kunder, asked Captain Sabharwal why he moved the switches. According to the WSJ Captain Sabharwal denied moving the toggles.
These reports - which have been read in India and by the aviation community as suggesting the senior pilot of Air India flight AI 117 was responsible for the crash - have been rubbished.
READ | "International Media Reports Irresponsible": Air India Crash Investigator
Last week the AAIB slammed international media for "selective", "unverified", and "irresponsible" reporting, and criticised the fomenting of "anxiety about safety of Indian airlines".
READ | "Nowhere Mentioned...": Pilots' Body Slams WSJ Article On Air India Crash
In a brief but sharply-worded statement, the AAIB called out international media, and said, "Such actions are irresponsible... especially while the investigation is ongoing. We urge the media to refrain from spreading premature narratives that risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process."
The reportage was also called out by the United States' National Transportation Safety Board, which is helping the AAIB in this matter. NTSB chief Jennifer Homendy called out some media reports - although she did not specify which ones - as "premature" and "speculative".
The fuel supply switches on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner - which was the plane that crashed - are designed to be immobile unless specifically moved by a pilot, i.e., they are spring-loaded, and have to be lifted up and slotted into position. This is to avoid accidental movement.
In the aftermath of the AAIB's initial report, domestic airlines operating Boeing jets were instructed to conduct checks on switches that regulate fuel supply to the engines.
READ | Air India Finds "No Issues" With Fuel Control Switches On Boeing 787s
This was made mandatory for all India-registered Boeing planes, the Director-General of Civil Aviation said. Air India later said it had finished the checks and found "no issues".
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