NEW DELHI: The India Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) has slammed the “reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide” that has been doing the rounds after the preliminary report into AI 171 crash was made public on Saturday. While not sharing the cockpit voice recorder transcript, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report had this one line: “One of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.” According to the report, three seconds after getting airborne from Ahmedabad on June 12, fuel supply to both engines of the Air India Boeing 787 operating as AI 171 got cut off. The reason: fuel cutoff switches of the London-bound Dreamliner’s engine 1 and 2 transitioned from “run” to “cutoff” position one after another with a time gap of a second.ICPA, which is the union of erstwhile Indian Airlines, said in a statement issued Sunday: “We are deeply disturbed by speculative narratives, particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide. Let us be unequivocally clear: there is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage, and invoking such a serious allegation based on incomplete or preliminary information is not only irresponsible-it is deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved.”Expressing their “unwavering support for the flight crew of Air India flight Al 171,” the statement added: “Pilots undergo extensive psychological and professional screening, recurrent training, and operate under the highest standards of safety, responsibility, and mental fitness. To casually suggest pilot suicide in the absence of verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession.““As aviation professionals, we trust and respect the rigorous investigative protocols established by competent authorities. These inquiries are designed to uncover facts methodically and without bias. Until the official investigation is concluded and the final report is published, any speculation-especially of such a grave nature-is unacceptable and must be condemned…. The crew of Al 171 acted in line with their training and responsibilities under challenging conditions. They deserve support-not vilification based on conjecture,” it said.
