Indian pilots’ body sends legal notice to Reuters over ‘speculative’ coverage of AI171 crash

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), representing over 5,000 commercial aviators, has issued a legal notice to Reuters and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over what it terms “speculative and prejudicial” reporting on last month's fatal Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad.

The notice issued through their lawyers APJ-SLG Law Offices follows international media coverage that the pilots’ body claims unfairly implicated the flight crew — Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder — both of whom perished in the 12 June tragedy.

The notice accuses Reuters of relying on “unverified sources and secondary reporting” to suggest pilot error, despite the fact that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not attributed blame in its preliminary findings released on 12 July. The report refrained from drawing any final conclusions regarding the cause of the Boeing aircraft’s crash.

FIP strongly criticised what it described as “selective and unverified reporting” by certain international publications, singling out Reuters and WSJ. It stated that such reporting was not only premature but also deeply insensitive, especially while the official investigation remains underway.

The pilots’ federation has demanded that Reuters “cease and desist” from publishing speculative content regarding the incident and has urged the news agency to amend its published article.

FIP is also seeking a formal clarification acknowledging that no authoritative determination has yet been made as to the cause of the accident.

In a statement shared with media, FIP president Captain C.S. Randhawa condemned the coverage. “Nowhere in the report has it been mentioned that the fuel control switch was turned off due to the pilot’s mistake. I condemn the article by the Wall Street Journal,” he said.

The legal notice underlines that such reportage has caused “unnecessary distress” to the grieving families of the deceased and has adversely affected the morale of pilots across the country.

The controversy underscores the tensions between media reporting and ongoing investigations in aviation accidents, with stakeholders urging restraint until all facts are established through official channels.