New Delhi, July 17, 2025 (ANI): On Wall Street Journal's news report on Air India AI 171 crash, Former Flight Operations Inspector with DGCA, Captain Prashant Dhalla said, “The report uses a particular word - 'transitioned'. The fuel control switches transitioned, the report says. This report is trying to say that there is a challenge and response between the two pilots - one is questioning the other, and there is some kind of state of confusion between the pilots, a breakdown of CRM...If any changes were made due to a failure in this aircraft, they would have used these switches to regain power...If there was a problem with the locking mechanism of these switches, then the pilots were also helpless.”Moreover, on the Air India plane crash, aviation expert Sanjay Lazar said, “The Wall Street Journal this morning has released a report, which suggested that the commander of the flight AI171 had undone the fuel switches. The preliminary report of the AAIB of India has only released a single statement, a very bold statement, which says, "Why did you cut it off? And the pilot replied, No, I did not." Given this single statement, I do not believe that there is ample scope for us to make a determination. The preliminary report failed to provide the entire transcript of the CVR. What is strange is that the AAIB preliminary report is being disclosed and leaked in the United States. And that brings a greater worry for all of us in India because this is an independent organisation controlled by the government of India. Yet the Wall Street Journal seems to know more about it than any of us in India, our parliament, or the Civil Aviation Ministry...The Federation of Indian Pilots has expressed its dissatisfaction with the report and the role of the AAIB. I concur fully with this. We should make an appeal to the Prime Minister of India, seeking complete transparency and a judicial probe into this matter by a sitting High Court judge to ensure accountability and transparency throughout this process..."
00:00What is strange is that the AAIB preliminary report is being disclosed and leaked in the
00:06United States and that brings a greater worry for all of us in India because this is an
00:12independent organisation controlled by the government of India, yet the Wall Street Journal
00:17seems to know more about it than any of us in India or our parliament or the civil aviation
00:22ministry.
00:23The Federation of Indian Pilots has expressed its dissatisfaction with the report and the
00:29role of the AAIB, I concur fully with this, in fact I go one step further.
00:35The leaks that are going on in the USA with various media also are undesirable for a nation
00:41like India, I think the government must take a strong look at it.
00:43See the report which has come out in the public uses a very particular word, it says transitioned,
00:52the switch is transitioned, there is a breakdown of CRM, this is one term which is commonly used
00:58in aviation.
00:59If the switches have run and cut off two modes, if the switches have changed, that might
01:08be, I think it is primarily because of some kind of a failure which happened in this aircraft.
01:14The Wall Street Journal this morning has released a report which suggested that the commander of
01:21the flight AI-171 had undone the fuel switches and the first officer was panicking during that time.
01:30So my thoughts on this are the preliminary report of the AAIB of India has only released a single
01:37statement, a very bold statement which says, why did you cut it off?
01:42And the pilot replied, no I did not.
01:46Given this single statement, I do not believe that there is ample scope for us to make a determination.
01:54The preliminary report failed in providing the entire transcript of the CVR.
02:00What is strange is that the AAIB preliminary report is being disclosed and leaked in the United States.
02:07And that brings a greater worry for all of us in India because this is an independent organisation controlled by the government of India.
02:16Yet the Wall Street Journal seems to know more about it than any of us in India or our parliament or, you know, the civil aviation ministry.
02:24The AAIB had found no fault in the fuel switches of Air India and had actually pointed out that the Air India had replaced the throttle
02:35quadrants which contained the switches in 2019 and 2023.
02:40There was an FA directive of 2018 which mandated, which made it optional to check the switches, which Air India apparently had not done.
02:53However, having changed the switches and the quadrant in 2023 and 2019, I don't believe there was anything at fault with the part or the checks.
03:04This is a machine. Very often what happens is, you know, problems can occur after the machine has been checked and, you know, on any flight, at any time, at any place, anywhere.
03:15So, I think we need to look deeper into the mechanical issues in this aircraft or the electronic issues that could have occurred.
03:24The Federation of Indian Pilots has expressed its dissatisfaction with the report and the role of the AAIB.
03:31I concur fully with this. In fact, I go one step further.
03:36I have made an appeal to many pilots and aviation organizations, passenger organizations too, that we write an appeal to the Prime Minister of India,
03:44seeking complete transparency, seeking a judicial probe into this matter and by a sitting high court judge.
03:51And so that there could be accountability and transparency during this process.
03:55They could run side by side with the AAIB's investigation.
03:58However, the power to subpoena and summon witnesses under a high court judge would be much stronger.
04:05The leaks that are going on in the USA with various media also are undesirable for a nation like India.
04:12I think the government must take a strong look at it.
04:14See, the report which has come out in the public uses a very particular word.
04:21It says, transitioned.
04:23The switch is transitioned.
04:26Now, because there are two people in the cockpit,
04:29in this case there is one senior captain who is having more than 9,000 hours to his credit
04:35and the other officer, Captain Clive, that he was the pilot flying.
04:42We must understand the pilot flying and the pilot monitoring, his duties are their own.
04:47Now, the report says the fuel control switches transitioned.
04:52Also, that led to a confusion state between the pilots.
04:55That is what this particular report is trying to say,
04:59that there is a challenge and response happening between both of these pilots.
05:05One is questioning the other.
05:07There is some kind of a confusion.
05:09There is a breakdown of CRM.
05:11This is one term which is commonly used in aviation.
05:14That might be primarily because of some kind of a failure which happened in this aircraft.
05:32Being senior pilots and also with a knee-jerk reaction, we can call this,
05:37they must have used these switches to regain the power back of this aircraft
05:41or this might be some kind of a startle effect,
05:45which is another human factor term in aviation.
05:48So, we will know what is the final outcome of this particular action taken by the pilot
05:55if he has taken an action deliberately
05:58or if there is some kind of an issue which happened in this Boeing 787 machine
06:04which led to these engines in the cut-off position.
06:08But, having said that, this particular switch has a locking mechanism.
06:13If there is a locking mechanism that led to this particular switch going in the cut-off position,
06:20then I am sorry the pilots were also very helpless
