Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has demanded a formal probe into the alleged leak of the preliminary investigation report on the Air India flight AI171 crash to international media before its official release in India. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, she expressed serious concerns over the handling and dissemination of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report.
Chaturvedi highlighted that sensitive details from the report appeared in foreign outlets such as The Wall Street Journal prior to the Indian public being informed, raising questions about information security and protocol breaches. She called for transparency regarding the report’s authorship, urging that the names of all investigation panel members be disclosed and that the interim report bear their signatures.
The Shiv Sena MP also criticized the quiet, late-night release of the report without a public briefing or clarity on the process, suggesting a lack of due process. She emphasized the negative implications this has on public safety, pilot morale, and India’s global aviation reputation.
Chaturvedi condemned the selective leaks and insinuations against the deceased pilots, calling such speculation “absolutely reprehensible.” She noted that pilot associations have raised objections, pointing out the absence of experienced aviators in the investigation panel and offering to contribute as observers to ensure technical accuracy and fairness.
She further urged the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to issue clear media guidelines on reporting interim investigative findings, considering their impact on aviation personnel and public perception.
The AAIB’s preliminary report into the crash of Air India flight AI171, which killed 260 people, revealed that the fuel control switches of both engines were moved from “run” to “cutoff” within one second, causing immediate loss of altitude. The report did not assign explicit blame or identify the pilots but suggested pilot error as the likely cause. The Airlines Pilots Association of India criticized the investigation for secrecy and bias against the pilots.