Preliminary Report on Air India AI 171 Crash Likely This Week: Sources
The initial investigation report into the Air India AI 171 crash, which killed 260 people in Ahmedabad last month, is expected to be released this week, sources told India Today. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is reportedly finalising the preliminary findings, in line with the 30-day deadline for such reports.
During a recent meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, members were informed that the probe’s early results may be made public soon. The meeting, though intended to review overall air safety, was dominated by discussions on the June 12 crash.
According to sources, AAIB officials briefed lawmakers on the technical progress of the investigation. Both black boxes from the crashed Boeing 787 Dreamliner were recovered intact and are being decoded with assistance from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The data is being matched with the aircraft’s final communication with Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control.
Specialist equipment from the NTSB was flown to India and handed over to AAIB to aid the decoding process. The black boxes were transported from Ahmedabad to Delhi under high security on separate aircraft, sources said.
In a first-of-its-kind move, the wreckage of the aircraft was transported to a secured hangar near Ahmedabad airport. There, investigators have partially reconstructed the aircraft to cross-reference physical damage with black box data. The AI 171 flight crashed moments after take-off, slamming into the BJ Medical College hostel building, killing 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground.
During the standing committee meeting, several MPs expressed concern over the failure to implement earlier recommendations on aviation safety. Top officials from the Civil Aviation Ministry, DGCA, AERA, AAI, BCAS, and representatives from Air India, IndiGo, and helicopter service providers attended the session.
Some committee members had planned to directly question Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam and senior MoCA officials on the investigation’s status and the cause of the crash. Air safety concerns were also raised in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting held a day earlier. Originally scheduled to review airport charges, the meeting turned into a heated discussion on safety oversight following the crash.
Lawmakers demanded a BCAS audit, cited a rise in aviation incidents in May and June, and flagged spiking airfares after the Pahalgam terror attack as signs of poor regulation. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, present at the PAC meeting, defended the Dreamliner’s safety record, calling it one of the most trusted aircraft globally.
PAC member and former Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel later told reporters that while the crash raised valid concerns, India’s aviation system remains fundamentally sound. “Safety is paramount, and passengers deserve confidence,” Patel said. “DGCA is competent, but it needs more experienced personnel. Rehiring retired officers on short contracts could bridge the gap.”
Comments are closed.