Veteran Captains Speak Out
In a dramatic and controversial turn of events, a chorus of highly experienced aviators has already pointed to pilot error as the probable cause of the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI 171, even before data from the aircraft’s black box has been fully examined. The crash, which claimed the lives of 241 passengers and crew, save for one miraculous survivor, has ignited a fierce debate within the aviation community, especially after visual footage of the incident surfaced online.
At the forefront of this early criticism is Captain Byron Bailey, a retired veteran of Emirates Airlines with over 30 years of experience flying wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777. Speaking candidly on Australian television, Captain Bailey said he had “no doubt in [his] mind” that the crash was a textbook case of human error in the cockpit.
“Pilot error. There’s no doubt. The main landing gear was still deployed — visible in the footage — when it should have been retracted within seconds of liftoff. And from what I can see, it seems the flaps were brought in early, which would’ve caused the aircraft to stall and lose lift.”
Bailey emphasized the fatal timing of these missteps, noting that such mistakes left the aircraft with little chance of regaining thrust or control. “You don’t retract your flaps before your gear. That’s basic airmanship,” he said firmly, as footage replayed behind him on the broadcast.
Adding weight to the controversy, Bailey also took aim at modern airline hiring practices, suggesting that “airlines are cutting corners by putting under-experienced pilots into complex aircraft.” His comments were directed at what he sees as a worrying trend, despite the fact that the AI171 captain had logged over 8,000 hours, and the first officer had 1,100. “It’s not just about hours,” he argued. “It’s about experience with crisis and systems thinking. An A320 captain with 6,000 hours isn’t the same as a seasoned 777 commander.”
Bailey’s blunt assessment stood in sharp contrast to the more measured tones of Captain Elmo Jayawardena, a respected Sri Lankan aviation figure, who shared his thoughts on a popular YouTube aviation channel. Capt. Jayawardena acknowledged that while early indicators might suggest pilot error, “we must wait for the black box data to confirm any speculation.” Still, he didn’t rule it out:
“Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s plausible. But aviation is a discipline rooted in evidence. Let’s respect the process before we draw final conclusions.”
A similar note of caution was sounded by an Aviation expert pilot named Captain Steve based in the United States, who released a 17-minute analytical video breaking down the trajectory and behavior of the ill-fated Boeing 787 Dreamliner in its final seconds. While he maintained a technically neutral stance, his analysis pointed toward “a possible mismanagement of thrust and lift parameters shortly after takeoff.”
He went on to describe how the angle of ascent appeared “unusually steep” and noted signs that suggested an early flap retraction, echoing Bailey’s theory. He even freeze-framed sections of the crash footage to illustrate his observations, yet reiterated: “This is still speculative until the FDR [Flight Data Recorder] tells us exactly what the crew did in that cockpit.”
Despite these measured views, it is Captain Bailey’s unwavering tone and public certainty that has drawn both support and criticism. Aviation forums and comment sections are now alight with discussion over whether his statements are brave truth-telling or premature judgment.
As investigations continue, the retrieval of the black box, which includes both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and the Flight Data Recorder (FDR), will either confirm or challenge these early assessments. For now, the world watches and waits, torn between hope for clarity and grief over the tragic loss of life.
But one thing is certain: this crash has reignited critical questions about training standards, airline hiring policies, and the psychological readiness of flight crews, especially as the demand for global pilots increases in the post-pandemic aviation boom.
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True , Flaps cannot be seen on the video , by looking at that video , this pilot can’t come to the conclusion just because he can’t see them that they are up or down , how did he come to the conclusion that mistakenly retracting flap lever instead of Landing gear. Poor attitude.
He should have , waited until DVR / CVR recordings come out to comment .