Pilot Federation Challenges Interim Air India Crash Report, Demands Simulator Tests
MUMBAI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has raised serious questions about the preliminary report on the crash of Air India flight 171, alleging that key cockpit warning data may have been omitted. The accident occurred on June 12, 2025, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released an interim report that FIP says fails to account for an electrical failure that could have led to the loss of both engines.
In a press conference on Friday, FIP President Captain C. Randhawa stated that the federation conducted independent simulator tests that revealed timing discrepancies in the AAIB's findings. The FIP has formally requested the government to instruct the AAIB to perform simulator-based tests before the final report is published.
Captain Randhawa alleged that an electrical failure would have generated a sequence of caution messages and audio alerts, which should have been recorded on the cockpit voice recorder. The preliminary report, he claimed, deliberately omitted this warning sequence. He also questioned the extensive damage to the flight data recorder located in the aircraft's tail, despite the tail being largely intact. Noting that the recorder is electrically powered, he suggested the damage could indicate a problem with the aircraft's electrical supply.
The FIP commissioned ten tests on a Boeing 787 simulator after the AAIB declined repeated requests to conduct its own replications. The tests found that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), which provides emergency power, takes 18 seconds to deploy and restore hydraulic pressure after engine shutdown. This directly contradicts the AAIB's preliminary report, which stated that the RAT deployed four seconds after the fuel control switches were moved to cut off the fuel supply.
Captain Randhawa drew a parallel to the 'Miracle on the Hudson' incident in 2009, where the US investigative agency initially blamed Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger. Only after 30-35 simulator tests did they realize the aircraft could not have returned to the runway safely. He noted that in the Air India crash, the pilots have died and cannot defend themselves, underscoring the need for thorough testing.
The AAIB has not yet responded to the FIP's allegations. The final investigation report is expected to consider all evidence, including any further simulator tests that may be conducted.
