Too early for conclusions, says AAIB, urges restraint

IN THE WAKE of mounting international speculation over the cause of the Air India flight 171 crash, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday issued a statement, urging media and the public to refrain from drawing premature conclusions while the investigation remains ongoing.

- FE BUREAU

The appeal came hours after The Wall Street Journal reported that the cockpit voice recorder of the plane suggests that the first officer questioned the captain about switching off the aircraft's fuel supply just seconds before the crash. Citing unnamed sources, the report identified the voices captured in the recording and highlighted the confusion in the cockpit, reviving speculation around possible human error.

The June 12 crash killed 260 people shortly after the flight took off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick. AAIB, which released a preliminary report last week, has now reiterated that it is too early to pinpoint the cause.