July 19 (Reuters) - The United States National

Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy said on

Friday that recent media reports on the crash of an Air India

Boeing Dreamliner that killed 260 people were premature and

speculative.

A preliminary investigation released last week by India's

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found confusion in the

cockpit shortly before the June 12 crash, and raised fresh

questions over the position of the critical engine fuel cutoff

switches.

A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of

the flight supports the view that the captain cut the flow of

fuel to the plane's engines, Reuters reported on Thursday,

citing a source familiar with U.S. officials' early assessment

of evidence.

GE Aerospace, Boeing ( BA ), Air India, India's Directorate General

of Civil Aviation and AAIB did not immediately respond to

requests for comment.

Homendy said investigations of this magnitude take time, and

that the NTSB will continue to support AAIB's ongoing probe.