Air India Crash: Pilots' Association Defends Crew

The Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) is defending the crew of Air India Flight 171, which crashed in June, killing 260 people. The ICPA asserts the crew acted according to their training during challenging circumstances and shouldn't face blame based on speculation. They criticized suggestions of pilot suicide as unethical and disrespectful. A preliminary report, released on Saturday, found that shortly after takeoff, both fuel-control switches inexplicably moved to the 'cut-off' position, causing engine failure. The report includes a cockpit voice recording where pilots question each other about the switch position, but the recording does not clarify who is responsible. The switches were subsequently moved to the 'run' position, but the crash occurred within seconds. Aviation experts note the switches' design prevents accidental activation, requiring intentional movement.