Reports on Air India crash 'premature and speculative', says NTSB's Homendy

The head of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jennifer Homendy, has said it is too soon to determine what led to the deadly crash of Air India Flight 171, Bloomberg reported. Her comments came after reports suggested the plane's captain might have moved switches that control fuel flow to the engines.

“Investigations of this magnitude take time,” Homendy wrote on social media platform X on Friday. She called recent media coverage “premature and speculative” but did not mention any specific reports.

The crash of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on June 12 killed 260 people. According to a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), two fuel control switches were moved to the “cutoff” position shortly after takeoff, cutting fuel supply to the engines. Although the switches were turned back on 10 seconds later, the aircraft could not recover.

A cockpit voice recording captured First Officer Clive Kunder asking Captain Sumeet Sabharwal why he had moved the switches. Sabharwal responded, “he didn’t". Investigators are now trying to determine whether the switches were moved by mistake, on purpose, or due to a system failure.

Long road to final report

The AAIB, which is leading the investigation with support from the NTSB, has urged the public not to jump to conclusions. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has also asked people to wait until the investigation is complete. Final reports in such cases often take a year or more, Bloomberg reported.

So far, no mechanical or design faults have been found with the Boeing aircraft or its GE Aerospace engines. Still, India’s civil aviation regulator has ordered inspections of fuel switches on all Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft in the country as a precaution.

Pilots' body seeks observer role in probe

The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA India) has once again asked the government to allow it to be part of the crash investigation as an observer, as per global standards.

“ALPA India once again renews its request to be included as an observer in the ongoing investigation of VT-ANB, to contribute professionally and help strengthen the safety framework of Indian aviation,” the association said, according to news agency PTI.

Tata Group to set up ₹500 crore trust for crash victims

The Tata Group, which owns Air India, has announced a ₹500-crore welfare trust for the families of the crash victims. The 'AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust' has been registered in Mumbai.

Air India had earlier said it would provide interim compensation of ₹25 lakh to each victim’s family, in addition to ₹1 crore announced by Tata Sons. As of July 4, compensation had been paid to families of nearly two-thirds of those who died.