On 12th July, aviation safety consultant and former Boeing aircraft trainer Captain Mohan Ranganathan made a sudden shift in stance over the Air India Flight 171 crash that occurred on 12th June this year. While he now claims the incident was the result of “deliberate human intervention”, citing the preliminary report on the crash, he had earlier warned against prematurely blaming pilots and urged focus on systemic safety issues.
According to the preliminary report issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in a cockpit exchange, one pilot asked the other why the fuel supply was cut off. The latter denied having done so. Ranganathan concluded this could not have happened by accident and stressed that “the fuel switch does not change automatically” and “must be moved physically”.
However, in an earlier interview with The News Minute, he had presented a more cautious approach. He had criticised the tendency to pin such crashes on pilots or aircraft systems. He had warned, “I can bet the investigators would… definitely blame the pilots.” At that time, he also spoke against revealing crew identities prematurely, noting the trauma such disclosures cause.
Despite the investigation still being underway, his current claim of a “deliberate action” is in contrast with the previously expressed concern. The investigation has not offered any definitive conclusions so far.
Notably, veteran pilot and president of the Federation of Indian Pilots Association, Captain C S Randhawa, has rejected the assertion against the pilots outright. He said, “The report is inconclusive. The fuel switch follows a challenge-response system. It cannot be done in isolation or by accident.”
He added that the report lacks clarity on several key points, including whether the engine was running or control was handed over mid-take-off. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu urged restraint, stating, “This is a preliminary report… We hope the final report brings clarity.” He reiterated his confidence in India’s pilots and crew.
