AHMEDABAD: One year after the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, questions are being raised over the delay in the release of the final investigation report into India’s deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
The crash occurred on June 12, 2025, when the London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The accident claimed 260 lives, including 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground at the B.J. Medical College hostel complex. One passenger survived the crash.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has expressed concern over the prolonged investigation and opposed the release of any incomplete or interim findings. Addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad, FIP President C.S. Randhawa questioned why the investigation into a flight that lasted only around 32 seconds remained incomplete after a year.
The pilots’ body argued that releasing a partial report could fuel speculation and public confusion. It has called for a comprehensive and transparent investigation before any conclusions are made public.
According to the preliminary findings released earlier by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), both engines lost power after the aircraft’s fuel control switches moved from the “RUN” position to “CUTOFF,” interrupting fuel supply to the engines. However, investigators have not yet determined whether the switch movement resulted from human action, technical malfunction, or any other factor.
The delay in the final report has also prompted legal action. The Federation of Indian Pilots and Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, have approached the Supreme Court seeking an independent probe under judicial oversight into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
With families of victims still awaiting definitive answers, aviation experts and stakeholders continue to seek clarity on the cause of the disaster and the reasons behind the delay in the publication of the final investigation report.
