The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA) has raised questions over the investigation into the Ahmedabad Air India crash on June 12, which claimed the lives of over 250 people. In a statement on Saturday, July 12, ALPA president Sam Thomas criticised the investigation, claiming it is "bias toward pilot error."
Thomas added that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had shared the preliminary report with the media, while keeping pilots in the dark. "The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry."
"The report was leaked to media without any responsible official signature or attribution. There is lack of transparency in investigation as 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," said ALPA in a statement.
“On June 12, 2025, Air India’s B787-8 aircraft bearing registration VT-ANB arrived at Ahmedabad airport operating flight AI423 from Delhi. The crew of the previous flight (AI423) had made Pilot Defect Report (PDR) entry for status message “STAB POS XDCR” in the Tech Log. The troubleshooting was carried out as per FIM by Air India’s on duty AME, and the aircraft was released for flight at 0640 UTC,” the report mentioned.
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The flight was to be operated by a crew comprising an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) holder pilot, a Commercial Pilot License (CPL) holder co-pilot, and 10 cabin crew.
“Both pilots were based at Mumbai and had arrived at Ahmedabad on the previous day. They had an adequate rest period prior to operating the said flight. The co-pilot was Pilot Flying (PF), and the PIC was Pilot Monitoring (PM) for the flight,” according to the report.