India, July 13 -- India's pilot community erupted in anger on Saturday over the preliminary Air India flight 171 crash report, with aviation associations accusing investigators of rushing to insinuate wrongdoing on part of the flight crew for a disaster that killed 260 people.

"The tone and direction of the investigation suggest a bias toward pilot error," said Capt Sam Thomas, president of the Airline Pilots' Association of India (ALPA). "ALPA India categorically rejects this presumption and insists on a fair, fact-based inquiry. We also renew our request to be included-at the very least, as observers-in the investigation process to ensure transparency and accountability."

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary...