The Malaysia Airlines Pilots' Association said it was worried by growing media speculation about the cause of the SQ006 crash and urged all parties not to blame the pilots as investigations were not complete.

"Any hasty conclusions would have unhealthy repercussions on the families of the pilots of that flight and generally on all pilots and crew members," it said in a statement.

"We firmly believe that current ongoing investigations must be completed and proper conclusions drawn before any statements concerning this tragic accident is made."

Association chairman Mohamed Johan told AFP that it was unwise to pass immediate judgement.

"It is very premature to make statements now given the complex nature of air accidents. It may bias the findings of the investigation team and make the task at hand even more difficult," he said.

The pilots -- Malaysian Captain Foong Chee Kong and Singaporean first officers Latiff Cyrano and Ng Kheng Leng -- should be able to participate in the probe without fear of punitive action, he added.

The association appealed to Taiwanese authorities to quickly complete the investigation so that the three pilots who have been barred from leaving Taipei could return home.

The three have been "traumatised and they also need grief counselling," added Mohamed Johan.

In Singapore, some 1000 people have signed an online petition seeking support for the three pilots.

Taiwanese authorities have blamed pilot error for the incident in which the plane attempted to take off from a closed runway during a storm, causing it to slam into construction equipment before exploding.

Investigators said the pilots could face charges of causing death by negligence. The inquiry could take a year to complete.

Of the 179 people aboard, 82 died in the first plane crash in SIA's 28-year history.

SIA officials accepted full responsibility for the crash but have sought further investigation into why the experienced pilot put the Los Angeles-bound Boeing 747-400 on the wrong runway, which is parallel to the correct runway.

The airline has questioned whether the pilot's mistake was influenced by misleading lighting and asked why the closed runway was not blocked off.