India, July 12 -- As details emerged from a preliminary inquiry report on the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA) said on Saturday that the probe was "being driven in a direction presuming the guilt of pilots and we strongly object to this line of thought".

A statement by ALPA chief Sam Thomas on Saturday, July 12, said, "We have been given a copy of the preliminary report which is believed to be furnished by the AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) to the media. We are once again surprised at the secrecy surrounding these investigations."

The statement reiterated that "suitably qualified personnel are not taken on board for these crucial investigations".

The association ...