The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of India issued a statement on the 17th, indicating that it is still too early to draw any definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the Air India passenger plane crash in June this year. Certain international media outlets should avoid spreading "premature claims" that could compromise the fairness of the investigation.
The statement said that the investigation into the cause of the crash is being conducted "in a rigorous and most professional manner," but certain international media have repeatedly engaged in "selective and unverified reporting." Such behavior is irresponsible, especially while the investigation is still ongoing.
The statement emphasized that public anxiety or unease about the safety of India's aviation sector should not be fueled at this time.
Although the statement did not name which media had engaged in "selective and unverified reporting," some Indian media, when reporting on this statement, mentioned the Wall Street Journal's report on the 16th.
The Wall Street Journal report pointed out that the cockpit voice recorder of the crashed plane suggested the captain may have shut off the fuel switches to both engines.
On June 12, an Air India Boeing 787-8 passenger plane bound from India to the United Kingdom crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat, India. The crash resulted in 274 fatalities, including 33 people on the ground. The preliminary investigation report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau on July 12 indicated that both engines of the plane lost fuel supply shortly after takeoff.