The father of the pilot at the centre of the Air India crash investigation has broken his silence, promising to fight any allegations that tarnish his son's name. Sources close to the family confirm that a legal team has been assembled, with the father personally funding a campaign to counter what he calls 'insidious' speculation about the cause of the disaster.
The crash, which claimed 158 lives, has been the subject of intense scrutiny. Official records obtained by this newspaper show that the pilot had logged over 10,000 flight hours with an exemplary record. Yet questions have been raised about a series of decisions in the final minutes before impact.
The father, a retired aviation engineer, told this correspondent in a clipped phone call: 'My son was a professional. He did not make mistakes that cost lives. The truth will come out, but only if we fight for it.' He declined to elaborate, citing legal advice.
Documents leaked from the investigation reveal a complex chain of events. Air traffic control logs show the pilot was instructed to abort the landing twice due to crosswinds. But cockpit voice recordings, reviewed by experts, indicate the pilot overruled the warnings, believing the aircraft could handle the conditions. A retired air crash investigator with knowledge of the case said: 'It's a classic case of hubris in the cockpit. But proving it is another matter.'
The father's legal defence rests on challenging the reliability of the cockpit recorder data. His lawyers have filed a motion to have the recording excluded, arguing it was tampered with. A former UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch official said: 'That's a bold strategy. Tampering claims are rarely successful without proof of foul play.'
Meanwhile, the airline has adopted a defensive posture. Internal memos show executives discussed shifting blame to the pilot, but a senior source confirmed that a confidential settlement had been reached with several families to avoid litigation. 'They're paying off the victims to keep the narrative controlled,' the source said.
The father is undeterred. He has retained a high-profile barrister known for championing the underdog in aviation cases. The legal battle, expected to take years, will dissect every second of the flight. For the families still mourning, the fight for truth is a cruel delay. For the father, it is a crusade.
As one investigator put it: 'In this game, the truth is a luxury. The rich buy it. The poor beg for it. The dead don't care.' But the father of the pilot cares. And he's bringing the fight to the courts.
