On Friday, the Federation of Pilots of India (FIP) began legal action through a formal notice to the Wall Street Journal and Reuters regarding the recent report on the AI-171 crash that occurred on June 12th. FIP also asks for an official apology.
Upon confirmation of the lawsuit, the chairman of India's Pilot Federation (FIP) CS Randhawa told ANI that FIP had launched legal action through the law and provided a notice to WSJ & Reuters for an apology.
In an email to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, FIP said: “We note that certain sections of international media are attempting to repeatedly draw conclusions through selective, unverified reports. Such actions are irresponsible, especially while investigations are ongoing.”
“Accidents on this dimension have attracted public attention and shock, but we need to understand that this is not a time to create public anxiety and uncertainty about the safety of India's aviation industry, particularly based on unfounded facts,” they added.
Referring to an ongoing investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the email states, “In the absence of official confirmations and final reporting, we will not publish or distribute content that we speculate about crashes or attribute failures or content that we speculate about attribute failures.”
FIP further writes: “The publication of such speculative content is extremely irresponsible and is directed to record that it causes serious and irreparable harm to the reputation of the deceased pilot who is unable to protect themselves.
The FIP urged the media to refrain from further speculation as long as the release of conclusive findings from the official investigation is pending, the FIP stated, FIP said, “We are directed to pay attention to Reuters and all affiliated platforms for further dissolution or amplification of unresolved, speculative or informal theories related to crash drops and maneuvers that operate planes, which are associated with crash drops, pilots.
The legal notice specifically asks Reuters to publish or circulate further content that speculates about crashes or attribute failures or speculates about attribute failures in the absence of official confirmations and final reports. Quickly review and amend the article dated July 17, 2025 to remove content that can be interpreted as condemned, including appropriate disclaimers.
The FIP also asked to issue a clarification acknowledging that no final conclusion has been made by the authorities and that this article is based on a secondary report.
The notice further states, “Please note that if you fail to act in accordance with this notice, you may force your client to pursue all legal remedies available under applicable law for honor, mental distress, and harm to reputation.”
Speaking to ANI in an NTSB statement, chairman of the Indian Federation of Pilots, Captain CS Randhawa said:
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a US federal agency, is responsible for investigating aviation accidents and important domestic transport events, and on Friday (local time) issued a strong responsibility for recent media coverage on a preliminary investigation report on the illegal Air India 171 crash that claimed the lives of 260 people in Ehamadabad, Gujarat last week.
In a statement, NTSB Chairman Jennifer Homendi said, “Recent media reports regarding the crash of Air India 171 are premature and speculative. The Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has just released a preliminary report. An investigation of this magnitude will take time. We will fully support the general appeal of AALB, released on Thursday, and will continue to support the ongoing investigation.
