US Aviation Safety Group Accuses AAIB Of Withholding Critical Data In AI-171 Crash Probe

Mumbai: The US-based Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) has accused India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of suppressing vital maintenance records, withholding real-time flight data and failing to warn the global aviation community about potential hazards following the fatal crash of Air India flight AI-171.

FAS raises concerns over probe

FAS executive director Ed Pierson – who is widely known for raising safety concerns over Boeing 737 Max – voiced deep disturbance over what he described as the AAIB’s "continued lack of transparency and its overt failure to comply with international accident investigation standards". He claimed that his foundation transmitted “hundreds of official non-public documents” concerning the AI-171 crash that occurred in Ahmedabad last year, killing 260 people.

According to Pierson’s letter to AAIB director GVG Yugandhar dated August 27, the foundation transmitted these records to Indian authorities through a UK AAIB expert. The documents allegedly detail a chronic history of systemic failures involving the aircraft's electrical, electronic and flight computer systems. The letter, accessed by The Free Press Journal, also cited AAIB’s response a day prior to Pierson’s follow-up letter, wherein the DG confirmed that the technical information provided by FAS was received via the UK AAIB expert on June 10 and is being "examined by the investigation team in the course of the investigation".

Allegations over data disclosure

In the latest letter, Pierson claimed that this data is essential for identifying potential causal factors in the crash. He charged the AAIB with an "egregious breach" of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13, Section 5 guidelines – which mandate that investigation authorities gather, record and analyse all relevant information – noting that the AAIB has failed to acknowledge the existence of these documents in either its Preliminary or Interim reports.

The letter highlighted that crucial Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) and Aircraft Health Management (AHM) data streams have been omitted from public disclosure. Pierson argued that these data streams detail specific system failure events and pinpoint the exact timing of faults that occurred prior to the disaster.

Call for greater transparency

"By actively withholding this information from public announcements, the AAIB is failing its primary objective: the prevention of future accidents through timely, transparent safety disclosures," Pierson wrote, taking aim at the agency's failure to issue urgent interim safety directives or warnings to airlines operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

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Pierson also criticised investigators for publicly leaning towards pilot fault while keeping critical technical evidence sealed. "Investigative agencies like the NTSB often tell the public not to speculate and let the investigation run its course, but speculation is not the enemy; secrecy is," he stated, demanding the immediate integration of the submitted documents into the public record.

The Free Press Journal contacted DG AAIB but did not receive any response till the time of going to the press.

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