New Delhi: Union Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu told the Lok Sabha on Monday that India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting probe into the June 12 Air India plane crash in a ‘transparent manner’, adding ‘let us respect the process of investigation’.
Naidu’s remarks came amid multiple reports in foreign press about the cause of the crash that claimed 274 people, including 19 on the ground, according to NDTV.
Pointing to the theories of the plane crash ‘floating’ in the media, the minister said ‘I have seen multiple articles, not only by Indian media, but also by Western media trying to promote their own viewpoint’.
The government, he said, was focusing on facts as it wanted to stand by the truth, which ‘will only be revealed when the investigation is complete’.
A preliminary report earlier reportedly said that two fuel switches of the ill-fated plane were moved from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' positions, causing the aircraft to starve the engine of power when it was just a few hundred feet above the ground.
This critical situation allowed the pilot only the limited time to take a corrective step to rescue the flight.
Citing cockpit audio recording, which was not released, American publication the Wall Street Journal reportedly claimed that First Officer Clive Kunder had asked Captain Sabharwal why he had moved the switches, which the captain denied.
These media reports suggested that the senior pilot of Air India flight AI 117 was responsible for the crash.
Following the reports, the AAIB last week criticised international media for ‘selective’, ‘unverified’, and ‘irresponsible’ reporting.
The AAIB said: ‘Such actions are irresponsible... especially while the investigation is ongoing. We urge the media to refrain from spreading premature narratives that risk undermining the integrity of the investigative process’.