Indian Pilot’s Body Lashes Wall Street Journal And Reuters For Irresponsible Reporting
In a sharp rebuke to what it calls “reckless journalism,” the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has taken legal action against two of the world’s most influential media outlets—The Wall Street Journal and Reuters—over what it describes as “selective, unverified, and speculative” reporting surrounding the catastrophic Air India Flight AI171 crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad, which claimed over 250 lives.
The controversy stems from recent reports published by the two news agencies that alluded to “cockpit confusion” or “pilot error” as a potential cause of the tragic incident.
These claims have drawn sharp criticism from India’s pilot community, with the FIP formally serving legal notices demanding public apologies and accountability for what it terms as grossly premature and damaging speculation.
The FIP, a long-established body representing commercial pilots in India since 1967, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the reporting practices.
It accused the news organisations of sensationalism that has unfairly targeted deceased crew members who are no longer alive to defend their actions.
“The publication of such speculative content is highly irresponsible and has caused grave and irreparable harm to the reputation of the deceased pilots,” the FIP’s legal notice stated.
“This has also inflicted unnecessary trauma on the grieving families and undermined the morale of pilots nationwide, who carry out their duties under extraordinary pressure and responsibility.”
The backlash follows intense international scrutiny of the incident, with many aviation experts calling for restraint and respect until a conclusive probe is completed.
On July 18, Jennifer Homendy, Chairperson of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)—which is collaborating with India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the probe—issued a rare statement directly addressing the media frenzy.
“Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative,” Homendy emphasized.
India’s AAIB has only released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude require time, diligence, and complete transparency.”
Captain CS Randhawa, President of the FIP, welcomed the NTSB’s intervention. He expressed dismay that such speculative narratives were allowed to take hold so early in the investigation.
“We are glad that the NTSB has clarified its stance. Their statement will hopefully stop the flood of misinformation and media-driven conjecture.
It was very important that this clarification came through, particularly because the pilot fraternity has been under undue scrutiny,” Randhawa stated.
