'Refrain from premature narratives': AAIB refutes US media report on Air India crash, urges to 'respect sensitivity'

As speculation around the recent Air India crash intensifies in international media, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday urged all to refrain from drawing conclusions based on “selective and unverified reporting.” The statement comes a day after The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) released a report citing cockpit voice recordings and preliminary conclusions by US authorities, implying that the captain might have accidentally cut fuel to the engines seconds after takeoff.

"Necessary to show respect to family members of the dead passengers, crew, and others who lost their lives on the ground as a result of the plane crash," the AAIB said in its statement. The bureau, which operates under India's Ministry of Civil Aviation, also made it clear that any such updates regarding the investigation will be issued only if required.

“AAIB will release updates on the Air India plane crash of technical or public interest value as and when needed,” it further read. Rejecting speculation regarding the reason for the crash, the agency said that it was premature to make conclusions and asked for restraint in public statements.

It's early to make any firm judgments about the Air India plane crash; the investigation is still pending." "The final investigation report will be released with root causes and recommendations. Avoid spreading early-day narratives."

What the WSJ report said?

The WSJ reports that a cockpit voice recording indicated that the two pilots had a conversation in which First Officer Clive Kunder asked Captain Sumeet Sabharwal as to why he had shut off the fuel flow to the aircraft's engines after liftoff. Sabharwal, according to reports, said that he hadn't. The newspaper quoted individuals who are known to US officials' initial evaluation of the crash, which happened on June 12 in Ahmedabad and resulted in 241 fatalities, including 19 on the ground.