Pilot groups reject claims of human error in Air India crash / Photo: © AFP/File
-
Bondi shooting shocks, angers Australia Jewish community
-
Myanmar junta seeks to prosecute hundreds for election 'disruption'
-
West Indies hope Christmas comes early in must-win New Zealand Test
-
Knicks beat Spurs in NBA Cup final to end 52-year trophy drought
-
Khawaja revels in late lifeline as Australia 194-5 in 3rd Ashes Test
-
Grief and fear as Sydney's Jewish community mourns 'Bondi rabbi'
-
Trump orders blockade of 'sanctioned' Venezuela oil tankers
-
Brazil Senate to debate bill to slash Bolsonaro jail term
-
New Zealand ex-top cop avoids jail time for child abuse, bestiality offences
-
Eurovision facing fractious 2026 as unity unravels
-
'Extremely exciting': the ice cores that could help save glaciers
-
Asian markets drift as US jobs data fails to boost rate cut hopes
-
What we know about Trump's $10 billion BBC lawsuit
-
Ukraine's lost generation caught in 'eternal lockdown'
-
'Catastrophic mismatch': Safety fears as Jake Paul faces Anthony Joshua
-
Australia's Steve Smith ruled out of third Ashes Test
-
Khawaja grabs lifeline as Australia reach 94-2 in 3rd Ashes Test
-
Undefeated boxing great Crawford announces retirement
-
Trump says orders blockade of 'sanctioned' Venezuela oil tankers
-
UK experiences sunniest year on record
-
Australia holds first funeral for Bondi Beach attack victims
-
FIFA announces $60 World Cup tickets after pricing backlash
-
Maresca relishes support of Chelsea fans after difficult week
-
Players pay tribute to Bondi victims at Ashes Test
-
Costa Rican president survives second Congress immunity vote
-
Married couple lauded for effort to thwart Bondi Beach shootings
-
Australia holds first funerals for Bondi Beach attack victims
-
Trump has 'alcoholic's personality,' chief of staff says in bombshell interview
-
Rob Reiner killing: son to be charged with double murder
-
Chelsea battle into League Cup semis to ease pressure on Maresca
-
Netflix boss promises Warner Bros films would still be seen in cinemas
-
Grok spews misinformation about deadly Australia shooting
-
Stocks mostly retreat on US jobs, oil drops on Ukraine hopes
-
Artificial snow woes for Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics organisers
-
Trump imposes full travel bans on seven more countries, Palestinians
-
New Chile leader calls for end to Maduro 'dictatorship'
-
Shiffrin extends slalom domination with Courchevel win
-
Doctor sentenced for supplying ketamine to 'Friends' star Perry
-
Tepid 2026 outlook dents Pfizer shares
-
Rob Reiner murder: son not medically cleared for court
-
FIFA announces $60 World Cup tickets for 'loyal fans'
-
Dembele and Bonmati scoop FIFA Best awards
-
Shiffrin dominates first run in Courchevel slalom
-
EU weakens 2035 combustion-engine ban to boost car industry
-
Arctic sees unprecedented heat as climate impacts cascade
-
French lawmakers adopt social security budget, suspend pension reform
-
Afrikaners mark pilgrimage day, resonating with their US backers
-
Lawmakers grill Trump officials on US alleged drug boat strikes
-
Hamraoui loses case against PSG over lack of support after attack
-
Trump - a year of ruling by executive order
NYSE - LSE
Pilot groups reject claims of human error in Air India crash
Two major commercial pilots' associations have rejected claims human error caused an Air India crash that killed 260 people after a preliminary investigation report found the plane's engine fuel switches had been turned off.
The report, issued Saturday by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the June 12 disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not.
No more detail about the cockpit dialogue between the pilots was revealed.
The Indian Commercial Pilots Association (ICPA) said it was "deeply disturbed by speculative narratives... particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide."
"There is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage," it said in a statement Sunday, adding, "it is deeply insensitive to the individuals and families involved."
"To casually suggest pilot suicide without verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession," it said.
The initial probe finding sparked speculation by several independent aviation experts that deliberate or inadvertant pilot action may have caused the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner to crash soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad in western India.
The ICPA was referring to a number of aviation experts suggesting engine fuel control switches can only be moved deliberately and manually.
The Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA India), another pilots' body with 800 members, also accused the probe agency of "secrecy" surrounding the investigation, saying "suitably qualified personnel" were not involved in it.
"We feel that the investigation is being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots and we strongly object to this line of thought," ALPA India president Sam Thomas said in a statement issued on Saturday.
ALPA -- which claims 100,000 members worldwide -- also requested to the AAIB that it be included as "observers so as to provide the requisite transparency in the investigations".
The crash killed all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground.
M.Ouellet--BTB