The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has hit back hard at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters over their recent reports on the AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. The crash last month killed over 250 people and is still under investigation. But the pilots’ body says the Western media is jumping to conclusions without any proof.
FIP President Captain CS Randhawa said both media houses are spreading wrong and harmful stories about the crash. He said these reports wrongly hinted that the Indian pilots were at fault, even though the official Indian report said no such thing.
“They are not the investigators. So how can they say what caused the crash?” Randhawa told ANI. “Their reports don’t match what’s in the official report. It’s totally misleading.”
Legal Notice and Demand for Apology
The FIP has now sent a legal notice to both WSJ and Reuters. They are demanding a public explanation and an apology. The pilots say these stories are damaging the image of Indian aviation and pilots without any facts.
“We asked them to show where in the report it says the pilots made mistakes. If they can’t, we will take more legal action,” Randhawa warned.
NTSB Backs Indian Pilots
In a big win for the Indian side, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) supported the pilots. Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB Chairwoman, said that the media coverage was “premature and speculative.”
She also said that no final conclusion has been made yet. “These investigations take time,” she said. “All official updates must come from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).”
Randhawa said this statement from NTSB proves Indian pilots are being wrongly blamed. “It shows we’re being fair. The media needs to stop spreading half-truths.”
What the AAIB Said
India’s AAIB has released a preliminary report on the AI-171 crash. It explains the basic facts of the accident but doesn’t say who or what caused it. The full investigation will take several more months.
The AAIB also asked the media to stop guessing and let them do their job properly. “People should wait for the final report,” their spokesperson said.
This fight is not just about one report. It’s about standing up for India’s aviation professionals. The FIP’s bold move sends a clear message — Indian pilots won’t stay silent when wrongly blamed.
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