In brief
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau reports that the investigation into the fatal Air India flight does not yet have a completion date. While significant progress has been made on analysing the cockpit recordings, fuel‑control system, engine parts and maintenance files, the final report remains pending. New evidence published last year suggests the senior pilot may have deliberately cut fuel to the aircraft’s engines, a claim met with backlash from pilot associations and a cautious response from the AAIB. The mystery of why the Boeing 787‑8 lost power shortly after take‑off from Ahmedabad remains unsolved as investigators continue to sift through debris and audio data.
On the first anniversary of the 12‑June 2025 Air India crash that killed 260 people, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed that investigations remain in progress with a final report to be released upon completion.
AAIB emphasised “significant progress” on the examination of aircraft systems, flight‑recorders, engine‑components, maintenance and operational records but gave no estimated date for the final findings.
After a preliminary report early last year, which linked fuel‑control switches moving to a cut‑off position just seconds after take‑off to the loss of power, new evidence has shifted focus to the senior pilot, Captain Sabharwal. A cockpit conversation recorded in the flight data suggests he may have deliberately cut fuel to the engines.
The claims have sparked backlash from pilot associations that reject the allegation of pilot culpability and from the AAIB itself. The last‑minute inquiries remain open as investigators sift through the crash‑site debris and the "cockpit‑audio" recordings.
The second‑hand report was first published by The Wall Street Journal and Reuters on 19 July 2025, but no definitive conclusion has yet been reached. The investigation continues to attract international scrutiny as absence of an official completion timeline fuels speculation.
Background: Flight AI171, a Boeing 787‑8, took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad en route to London, colliding with overturning debris minutes after lift‑off.
The crash site remains heavily contaminated, with remains scattered over a wide area that has been cordoned off by law‑enforcement and emergency teams.
Witnesses on the ground: “…a scream then a plume of black smoke…” (audio fragment available from the investigation).
