Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on July 20, 2025, urged caution regarding the ongoing investigation into the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash, urging against drawing early conclusions and dismissing Western media reporting as driven by "vested interests". He expressed confidence in India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), praising its successful decoding of the aircraft’s black box data domestically—marking a first for India.

The preliminary AAIB report revealed that, seconds after takeoff, both fuel-control switches were moved to the "cutoff" position within one second of each other, resulting in sudden thrust loss. A cockpit voice recording captured one pilot asking why the fuel was cut off, with the other denying involvement; however, the AAIB did not assign blame or identify which pilot spoke.

Amid speculation—including Western outlets and U.S. experts suggesting pilot error or sabotage—the AAIB cautioned against "selective and unverified" reporting, calling such coverage "irresponsible" and warning that it could compromise the investigation. Indian pilots’ unions and Air India officials have strongly defended the crew and criticized premature allegations.