The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) has raised serious concerns over the preliminary probe into the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad. In a statement on Saturday, ALPA president Sam Thomas criticised the investigation, claiming it is “being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots”.
Thomas added that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had shared the preliminary report with the media, while keeping pilots in the dark. “We are once again surprised at the secrecy surrounding these investigations,” he said.
“The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias towards pilot error… ALPA India categorically rejects this presumption and insists on a fair, fact-based inquiry,” Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) said in a statement.
ALPA also cited a Wall Street Journal article dated July 10, which claimed the crash was linked to the inadvertent movement of engine fuel control switches. The association questioned how this sensitive detail reached the press. “We are surprised that a document so crucial has been given to the media without any responsible person signing it,” it said.
Calling the situation deeply troubling, ALPA criticised the AAIB for releasing documents without official signatures and called for immediate reform. “Investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust. Qualified, experienced personnel—especially line pilots—are still not being included in the investigation team,” the statement further read.
“ALPA-I renews its request to be included—at the very least, as observers—in the investigation process to ensure transparency and accountability,” the pilots’ body said.