‘Preliminary report’ on Ahmedabad plane crash goes viral. PIB fact checks

The Indian government on Thursday (Jul 10) debunked a post circulating on WhatsApp claiming to be the preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the investigation into the crash of the Air India flight AI-171. In a post on social media, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) posted a fact check, saying the message is fake and urging citizens to only rely on official sources for information. On June 12, a flight carrying 242 people onboard crashed shortly after taking off in Ahmedabad, killing 241 and leaving only one survivor.

“A message circulating on #WhatsApp claims to be the preliminary investigation report of the AI-171 crash by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). #PIBFactCheck: This message is #Fake,” PIB posted on X.

“This report has not been issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. Always rely on official sources for accurate information,” it added.

Fake report alleges mechanical error

The fake report claimed that the captain’s seat suddenly slid backwards during takeoff, which caused the thrust levers to be pulled into idle, reducing the engine power. The First Officer was unable to counter the mechanical force to advance the throttles.

“According to the AAIB, the captain's seat suddenly slid backward during rotation, a moment when the aircraft was lifting off the runway. This rearward movement was due to the failure of the AFT locking mechanism of the seat track. As the captain's body was thrust rearward, his weight inadvertently pulled the thrust levers into idle, drastically reducing engine power during a critical phase of flight. The First Officer attempted to advance the throttles but was unable to counter the mechanical force and body weight obstructing the levers,” The fake report said.

The AAIB has not issued any such report. In addition, no crash involving an Air India flight has occurred as described in the fake report.

AAIB investigation

The investigation into the Ahmedabad plane crash is still underway. The AAIB was given 30 days to submit its preliminary findings to the International Civil Aviation Organisation. However, the public release of the report is not mandatory. On July 8, the AAIB submitted a preliminary report to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The report filed is based on the initial findings of the probe. The five-page report shares early insights into the sequence of events leading up to the crash, but it does not identify the cause of the accident. The details of the report have not been made public yet.