The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has cautioned against drawing early conclusions regarding the cause of the Air India Flight 171 crash, describing recent media reports particularly those focusing on the pilot’s role as “premature and speculative.” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy emphasized that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India has only just released a preliminary report, and that investigations of such magnitude require significant time for thorough evaluation.
Homendy urged the public and media outlets to await official findings before speculating about the circumstances leading to the fatal crash, which claimed 260 lives. “Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB’s public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB,” she said in an official statement.
This announcement follows a wave of international media coverage suggesting that one of the pilots might have intentionally switched off fuel supply to the aircraft’s engines, a theory not substantiated by the initial AAIB findings. Both the AAIB and Air India have called for restraint, urging media houses to avoid speculation based on incomplete information.
Aviation experts and pilot associations have echoed the NTSB’s concerns, with some issuing legal notices and public condemnations of speculative reporting. The Federation of Indian Pilots lauded the NTSB’s intervention, emphasizing the necessity of basing public commentary on factual, officially released data rather than preliminary or leaked details.
As the investigation continues, both US and Indian authorities reaffirm their commitment to conducting a rigorous, professional inquiry, focusing on facts rather than assumptions or early speculation.