NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents 5,000-plus professional pilots and some aviation professionals, on Friday evening sent legal notices to both Reuters and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in connection with their recent articles on the Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad in which 260 people lost their lives.
The notice referred to a Reuters article on July 17 headlined 'Air India cockpit recording suggests captain cut fuel to engines before crash, source says'. The article had credited WSJ for first reporting that the senior pilot was responsible for the crash. The WSJ report earlier in the day, was titled, 'New details in Air India crash probe shift focus to senior pilot'.
Referring to the Reuters report, the notice says, “It attributes speculative and unverified conclusions concerning the conduct of the pilots operating Flight 171. The article appears to rely on unverified sources and secondary reporting, and makes assertions that are neither substantiated by the official investigation nor endorsed by any competent authority.”
The FIP also pointed out that the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Bureau (AIIB) had on Thursday cautioned international media for such selective reporting. “Such actions are irresponsible, especially while the investigation remains ongoing,” it said.
The notice has asked Reuters not to publish or circulate any content that attributes fault to any individuals, especially the deceased pilots, in the absence of official confirmation and a final report.
The notice specifically called upon Reuters to promptly review and amend the article dated July 17, 2025, by complying with these three aspects -- to include an appropriate disclaimer and remove any content that could be construed as attributing blame; issue a clarification acknowledging that no final conclusions have been released by the authorities and that the article was based on secondary reports; and cease and desist from publishing or circulating any further content or 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 notice added that failure to do so would compel FIP to pursue all legal remedies available for defamation, mental anguish and reputational harm.
Captain C S Randhawa, FIP president, confirmed the notices were sent on Friday evening to both the news outlets. “A notice similar to that sent to Reuters has been sent by our lawyer to WSJ also,” he added.