India, Sept. 27 -- A body representing commercial pilots in India has written to civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu asking whether the government intends to have an independent committee examine the draft final investigation report into the Air India AI-171 crash before it is circulated or finalised.

In the letter, dated September 25, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) said it had "reliably learnt that the Government/Ministry has directed or is considering requiring the draft report to undergo examination by an independent committee before it is circulated/finalised".

HT could not independently confirm whether such a review has been ordered or is under consideration. A query on whether the government had asked the Aircraft Accid...