New Delhi, December 27: YouTuber and former AirAsia India pilot, Gaurav Taneja aka 'Flying Beast' has made a sensational claim about the Air India Flight 171 crash on his social media account. Taneja stirred a controversy with the social media post claiming that AI 171 could be blamed on a pilot’s intentional crash in the final investigation report.
In his post, Taneja said that discussions were allegedly taking place between Washington and Delhi to frame a report that would avoid causing embarrassment to India and Indians.
He said, "AI 171 would be blamed on pilot intentional crash. Discussions are underway between Washington and Delhi, to write such a final report that does not overly embarrass India and Indians."
Taneja said his information was sourced from reports by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Corriere della Sera.
His remarks drew reactions with social media users raising questions about the claim and also calling for caution untill the findings of the report are made public.
One of the users said, "Blaming individuals to protect large organizations sets a dangerous precedent. India gains nothing from silence or soft report." Another user said, "That’s really sad, especially since the pilot did everything he could to prevent the crash."
Details About The Crash
Air India Flight 171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killing almost everyone on board and several people on the ground.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was heading to London Gatwick when it went down just 32 seconds after lift-off, slamming into a hostel building of B.J. Medical College near the airport.
Preliminary Investigation Report
According to a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the aircraft lost power in both engines after the fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF moments after take-off.
The report did not explain why the switches moved and the investigation into the crash, which left only one survivor among those on board, is still underway.
