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Can’t draw conclusions based on pilots’ conversation: Mohol on AI crash report
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner had crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad moments after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Saturday said no conclusions could be drawn yet from the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, noting that the conversation between the pilots was too brief to determine responsibility.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner had crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad moments after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground.
Mohol said the AAIB, an autonomous agency under the Civil Aviation Ministry, had submitted its initial findings within a month of the crash. He stressed that the investigation was still ongoing.
“This is only a preliminary report. The AAIB has made some initial observations, which will be examined further. We cannot draw any conclusions from the cockpit conversation between the pilots, as it is very brief,” Mohol said.
According to the 15-page preliminary report, both engines lost fuel supply within a second of each other shortly after takeoff, leading to confusion in the cockpit. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other “why he had cut off the fuel”—an action the other reportedly denied.
Responding to questions about this exchange, Mohol said, “Yes, the report mentions it, but it’s too early to draw conclusions. The AAIB itself has stated that this is an initial report and that further investigation is needed.”
He also noted that earlier, black boxes had to be sent abroad for analysis, which delayed investigations. “Now, we can carry out such inquiries within the country. The AAIB is doing a commendable job, and there is no interference from the ministry in its functioning,” he added.
