The captain’s seat dislocated during takeoff and slipped backward, causing a crash of the Air India Flight AI 171. Or the collision was caused by bad weather. These were two of many messages, including a social media group that includes the pilot, just weeks before the preliminary investigation report was released on Saturday. The message was structured as a preliminary investigation report on crash crash in Ahmedabad on June 12th, and most likely was created using the Generated Artificial Intelligence (Genai) platform to spread misinformation and expand conspiracy theories. After that, there was a video created by genai of crashes. They spread rapidly even within the aviation industry, but most had basic giveaways like emoji use and basic information about accidents.
For example, in such false reports, the seats of only survivors were incorrect, and the input of heavy rain during the pushback was the complete opposite of a hot, bright, sunny day in Ahmedabad on June 12th. Nevertheless, they fueled the rumored factories to the extent that the Press Information Bureau had to publicly expose some of these reports. And the threat was not limited to India. Given that this is the first fatal accident that includes Boeing’s latest generation widebody aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, the world where crash investigations are unfolding, these fake reports and videos have become global.
Inadequate communication
Meanwhile, official information on the progress of the investigation was lacking, leading to wild speculation not only on news media but also on social and news media. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) has so far held only one briefing on the accident. Before the official preliminary report was released, there was no actual information about the findings and only a few press releases regarding the status of the probe. In addition to government-friendly media outfits, incorrectly post any submitted investigation reports. Industry insiders and watchers believe that all of this helps fuel the rumoured factories, only exacerbating the spread of misinformation and fake news in the age of social media and the genai.
The preliminary report was also uploaded in the middle of the night on the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) website, with no media briefings on either Saturday or Sunday. Additionally, while the AAIB and the government kept the investigation airtight and concluded the official information flow, several US publications were able to report on the most important aspects of the report. This led to speculation in Indian aviation, where American participants in the survey were selectively returning home to leak information. It is worth noting here that the US National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) and American company Boeing and engine manufacturer GE are helping AAIB-led probes to crash.
Additionally, there are a number of questions that remain unanswered in the report. For example, one paraphrased exchange between pilots mentions whether one of them reduces fuel supply to the engine. Investigators are surely now have a full cockpit audio recording from the black box, but they chose only one short exchange without even identifying which pilot said what. There’s nothing before and after.
More questions
Some experts even say that the preliminary report raised more questions than answers. Certainly, the report is more detailed than many people expected. However, it left many important questions unanswered. This appears to promote a variety of theories about the causes of crashes, ranging from pilot behavior and suicide to software and system defects. However, there is no official word for clarification or details.
The Indian and foreign masses are desperately searching for information about crashes, and in the age of social media and viral content, they too are panicking. Air Force conflict investigations are long drawn, complicated and laborious exercises spread over months, and sometimes over a few years, when official and legitimate information is not shared in a timely manner and regularly, the public will fall prey to unfounded theories and false information created by genai. Few people are familiar with the aviation industry, which communicates fakes from real information and exposes wildly speculative hypotheses.
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Aviation experts and commentators have been critical of the way India has so far processed information flows in its investigations, both domestically and internationally, especially given the dangers of fake news content in its social media era. What is useful in this environment is regular communication through frequent public briefings. This is the standard in the West when a major aviation accident occurs. Even repeated investigation protocols and statuses for large-scale air collisions and regular exposure of misinformation can go a long way.
“Weeks after the accident happened, and throughout these weeks, I pointed out that there is a … information gap. It is roughly speculating without any basis for the cause, but perhaps well-intentioned, but with the preliminary reports that these AI (artificial intelligence) have also said the flow here is very important. A pilot of the airline that operates aviation education and information channels, which was praised on YouTube in a recent video on the AI 171 crash.
“These fake reports are shared by experts, but they get better and more and more believe it. From the authorities’ perspective, I think we need to shift right now. We know that other people in the industry are sharing this. We found a black box, we researched them, read them and read them,” added Hörnfeldt.
However, official information was difficult because AAIB and Indian civil aviation facilities are so closed. Pilots and experts now seek regular media briefings by the AAIB, providing official updates on the investigation and expose unfounded speculations. The cycle can last unless the country’s top brass pays attention. What about them?
