New Delhi, July 12 -- The Airline Pilots' Association of India on Saturday raised objections to the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) regarding the Air India plane crash on June 12, claiming that it suggests a bias towards pilot error.

"The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error. We categorically reject this presumption and insist on a fair, fact-based inquiry," the pilots' association said in a media statement.

Claiming a lack of transparency in the investigation, the association expressed reservations over the release of the preliminary report into the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 to the media, and said that it was "leaked" without any official...