New Delhi, Dec 18 (NationPress) Congress MP Manish Tewari on Thursday lambasted the Central government for its inability to establish the clear causes behind the tragic Air India Flight 171 crash, even six months post the devastating event, alleging that it is obfuscating the findings to evade further disgrace.

The doomed aircraft was en route to London’s Gatwick Airport on June 12, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members when it tragically crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, leading to over 260 fatalities, including more than a dozen on the ground.

Importantly, aviation authorities are probing a range of potential technical issues that could have contributed to one of the gravest aviation tragedies in the nation’s history; however, no significant or incriminating evidence has yet emerged.

The Congress representative took to X on Thursday, voicing his concerns raised in the Lok Sabha regarding alleged oversights, poor coordination between Indian and US agencies, and questioning the government on the measures being undertaken to adhere to global safety standards and restore public trust following the unfortunate plane crash in Gujarat.

“More than six months have passed since the Air India 171 crash in Ahmedabad, yet we remain unaware of the exact circumstances,” he remarked in a post on X.

In response to his inquiries, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, indicated that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting an inquiry in line with the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which necessitates the involvement of various stakeholders, including aviation experts for thorough examination.

“The Rear Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) and front EAFR were retrieved on June 13 and June 16, 2025, respectively. They were handed over to AAIB on June 24, 2025, under strict security protocols. Both EAFRs (comprising FDR and CVR, front and rear) have been in the AAIB’s custody since their recovery from the crash site under constant security and CCTV monitoring,” the minister elaborated in a written response to queries concerning the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR).

However, this did not assuage the concerns of the Congress MP from Chandigarh.

It is noteworthy that the AAIB published its 15-page preliminary findings of the investigation a month after the catastrophic Air India 171 crash, on July 12, offering insights into potential causes of the disaster.

The report noted that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches shifted from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ just minutes after takeoff, but did not clarify whether the switches were manually altered.

The findings did not specify if any of the pilots were responsible for this switch, but it did document a conversation in the cockpit in which one pilot questioned another about the cutoff, to which the other replied he had not done it.