The father of the pilot involved in the Air India crash has publicly defended his son against allegations of negligence, while British investigators are demanding the release of full flight data to determine the cause of the disaster that claimed 158 lives.
Dr. Gopal Singh, a retired aviation psychologist, told reporters in New Delhi that his son, Captain Arjun Singh, was an experienced and meticulous pilot with over 8,000 flying hours. 'My son was not reckless. He loved flying and respected the aircraft. The investigators must look at all factors, not rush to blame the pilot,' he said.
The crash occurred on Thursday when Air India Flight AI-178, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner en route from London Heathrow to New Delhi, went down in a field near the village of Jhinjhana, Uttar Pradesh, shortly after encountering severe weather. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the aircraft struggling in a thunderstorm before it spiralled and plummeted.
British investigators from the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) have arrived at the crash site and are leading the probe, as the aircraft was manufactured in the UK and is registered there. They have formally requested the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to release the complete flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcripts, as well as radar tracking logs and maintenance records.
'The full data set is essential for a thorough investigation,' said AAIB lead investigator Dr. Helen Carter. 'We need to understand the sequence of events leading to the loss of control. Partial disclosure can lead to misinterpretation.'
This demand comes amid reports that Indian authorities have been slow to share critical data. Sources close to the investigation suggest that the DGCA is under pressure from political quarters to downplay any potential lapses by air traffic control or ground handling services.
The crash has reignited debates about aviation safety in India and the adequacy of pilot training in the face of increasingly erratic weather patterns linked to climate change. 'The atmosphere is warming, and that means more energy for storms,' explained Dr. Helena Vance, Science Correspondent. 'We are seeing a global increase in severe turbulence and convective weather events that push aircraft beyond their design limits.'
Captain Singh's father dismissed claims that his son had ignored weather warnings. 'The storm developed rapidly. The flight plan was approved by dispatch and ATC. There was no indication that the situation was beyond control until the very end.'
The black boxes have been recovered and sent to the AAIB's laboratory in Farnborough for analysis. Preliminary findings are expected within two weeks, but a full report may take months.
Meanwhile, the families of the victims are demanding answers. 'We need the truth, not a cover-up,' said Rajesh Kumar, whose wife died in the crash. The Indian government has announced compensation of 1 million rupees per victim, but many families have rejected the offer, calling it insufficient.
The aviation industry is watching closely as this crash could have far-reaching implications for pilot training protocols, design standards for weather resilience, and international cooperation in accident investigations. With global flight traffic increasing and the climate continuing to warm, the intersection of human error and environmental stress may become a defining challenge of the decade.
