Indian Pilots’ Body Sends Legal Notice to WSJ Over Air India Crash Coverage

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has issued a legal notice to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over its reporting on the recent Air India Flight AI-171 crash, accusing the publication of making “premature and defamatory” claims about pilot error without conclusive evidence. The notice demands a formal apology and immediate retraction of the article.

The FIP criticized the WSJ’s July 17 article, which cited unnamed sources suggesting that one of the pilots may have deliberately shut off fuel to the engines mid-flight, leading to the fatal crash that killed 260 people. The pilots’ body argues that the report is speculative and undermines the integrity of the crew involved, especially since the official Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report is still pending.

The AAIB’s preliminary findings confirmed that both fuel control switches were moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” shortly after takeoff, and cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, “Why did you cut off fuel?” with the other responding, “I did not do so.” However, investigators have not attributed fault to any individual or suggested intent.

The FIP claims the WSJ report disregards these facts and attempts to sensationalize the incident, causing undue distress to the aviation community and the families of those involved. The organization has also issued a similar notice to Reuters, calling the coverage irresponsible and harmful.

FIP President Capt. C. S. Randhawa stated that such reporting without substantiated findings could damage professional reputations and mislead the public. The pilots’ union warned that if the media outlets fail to comply with the demands, they may pursue further legal action to protect their members’ dignity and reputation.