We have to stick to report, whatever it says will be final: Civil Aviation Minister on Air India plane crash probe

By Shafali Nigam
Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 20 (ANI): Amid rising speculation and international media scrutiny over the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu has urged restraint and cautioned against drawing premature conclusions.
He stressed that no comments should be made until the final investigation report is released, emphasising the need to respect the formal investigation process.
"The data is here. The preliminary report has also been seen, but making any comments until the final report has come -- I don't think it is a good exercise on behalf of anyone. That's why we are also very cautious," he told ANI.
His remarks come amid reports, particularly Western media outlets, suggesting that pilot error was a factor in the incident. Naidu emphasised the need for responsible reporting and respect for the formal process being led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
"You've seen that AAIB has made an appeal also to all the media houses, especially the western media houses, who might have certain vested interest in the kind of articles or the reports that they are trying to publish," the minister noted, asserting confidence in the AAIB's efforts.
Highlighting a major development in the investigation, Naidu said the AAIB had successfully decoded the aircraft's black box within India -- a first for the country. "I believe in AAIB and in the work that they have done, a wonderful job in decoding the whole black box and getting the data in India itself. It was a huge success for us because, in previous incidents, whenever the black box was found to be damaged, it was always sent abroad to retrieve the data. But this is the first time that AAIB has successfully decoded everything," he said.
When asked about reports suggesting an electrical malfunction in the aircraft's tail section, Naidu again urged patience.
"We can't go on things based on what is being said. We have to stick to the report, and whatever the report says, that is going to be the final. So, we have to give that scope, the time and the kind of confidence to AAIB. That is very much needed," Naidu said.
On the overall direction of the investigation, Naidu clarified that it is proceeding according to international protocols and established guidelines. "The probe is being conducted by the AAIB according to the international protocol and the rules and guidelines that we have set for any investigation. So, they are sticking to them. As you've seen, the preliminary report is out, and they still need time because there are many things that need to be corroborated. A lot of data that comes in from different angles needs to be seen. So, we need to give them that much time. There is no point in jumping to conclusions," he said.
On addressing the issue of staffing at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Naidu stated that efforts are underway to fill the vacancies. "We are actively progressing on that. Over the last two years, there has also been a reorganisation of the employees. That is why we are seeing a lot of vacancies also being created. We are actively working on it. It's a continuous process," he added. (ANI)