‘Attempting to draw conclusions’: FIP sends legal notice to Reuters, WSJ; slams ‘speculative’ AI171 crash coverage | India News

NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has initiated legal action against international media outlets – Reuters and The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) over their coverage of the Air India Flight 171 crash, which took place on June 12 in Ahmedabad, resulting in the death of 260 people.FIP president Captain CS Randhawa confirmed to ANI news agency that legal notice has been served to both Reuters and WSJ, demanding a public apology over what the pilots’ body described as “selective and unverified reporting.”In an email addressed to both outlets, the FIP stated: “It has come to our attention that certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. Such actions are irresponsible, especially while the investigation remains ongoing.”Acknowledging the public shock following the crash, the pilots’ body added: “While the accident of this dimension has drawn public attention and shock, however, it needs to be appreciated that this is not the time to create public anxiety or angst towards the safety of the Indian Aviation Industry, particularly on the basis of unfounded fact.”Referring to the ongoing investigation led by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the FIP urged the outlets to “desist from publishing or circulating any content that speculates on the cause of the crash or attributes fault to any individuals, especially deceased pilots, in the absence of official confirmation and final report.”The legal notice further stated: “We are instructed to place on record that the publication of such speculative content is highly irresponsible, and has caused grave and irreparable harm to the reputation of the deceased pilots, who are unable to defend themselves. In doing so, Reuters has also inflicted unnecessary distress on the bereaved families, and diminished the morale of the pilot fraternity, which operates under immense pressure and public responsibility.“FIP has demanded that the media outlets refrain from any further speculation. “In view of the above, and pending the release of conclusive findings from the official investigation, we are instructed to caution Reuters and all affiliated platforms against further dissemination or amplification of unverified, speculative, or unofficial theories relating to the crash and pilots operating the plane.”The legal notice calls on Reuters to immediately stop publishing or distributing any further content speculating on the cause of the crash or assigning blame without official confirmation. It also asks Reuters to revise its article dated July 17, 2025, to include an appropriate disclaimer and remove any content that could imply pilot fault.FIP has further demanded a clarification stating that no final conclusions have been issued by authorities and that the article was based on secondary sources.The notice warns: “Please note that failure to act in accordance with this notice may compel Our Client to pursue all legal remedies available under applicable law for defamation, mental anguish, and reputational harm.”Reacting to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) statement supporting AAIB’s investigation, Captain Randhawa said: “We are happy with the statement of NTSB board. This will put a stop to the reports in the western media. They are in their own world and think they can publish and get away. The Indian report is very clear, we have to wait for the final report to come.”The NTSB had earlier released a statement criticising global media coverage of the crash investigation. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said: “Recent media reports on the Air India 171 crash are premature and speculative. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau just released its preliminary report. Investigations of this magnitude take time. We fully support the AAIB’s public appeal, which was released Thursday, and will continue to support its ongoing investigation. All investigative questions should be addressed to the AAIB.”