AI-171 probe in final stage, report being finalised under international rules: Ram Mohan Naidu

Ahmedabad, Sep 2 (IANS) The investigation into the June 2025 Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad has reached its final stage and the final report is expected soon, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said.

Minister Naidu on Tuesday added that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is proceeding with the inquiry in accordance with international protocols and that the remaining steps are being completed before the final report is issued.

The Minister’s latest statement comes as the investigation remains under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions seeking an independent and court-monitored inquiry into the crash.

The Centre had earlier told the court that the final draft report would be submitted in a sealed cover in the first week of October.

The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing for October 13.

The court was told in July that the AAIB’s investigation had substantially progressed.

The Union government also informed the bench that four simulation tests had been conducted in connection with an application filed by one of the petitioners.

The court decided to await the findings of the statutory investigation before considering whether any further inquiry was required.

The investigation has taken longer because of its technical and international dimensions.

The AAIB said its work was being conducted under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, as amended, as well as the standards and recommended practices under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.

The investigation has involved accredited representatives, technical advisers and subject matter experts from relevant organisations.

In an earlier statement on the progress of the probe, Minister Naidu said the AAIB is following the prescribed international process and should not be hurried at the expense of completing all required steps.

“We are all waiting,” he said, adding that the bureau wanted to follow the international protocol strictly.

The AAIB had released a preliminary report on July 12, 2025, containing factual information about the accident.

The report recorded that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches moved from the ‘RUN’ position to ‘CUTOFF’ shortly after take-off, resulting in the loss of engine thrust.

However, the preliminary report did not constitute a final determination of the cause of the crash.

Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025.

The aircraft was carrying 241 people who died in the crash, while 19 people on the ground were also killed, taking the total death toll to 260. One passenger survived.

The aircraft came down in the Meghani Nagar area and struck the BJ Medical College doctors’ hostel.

The crash triggered a wide-ranging investigation involving aircraft systems, flight data, operational circumstances and human factors.

The final AAIB report is expected to provide the investigators’ conclusions on the causes and contributing factors behind the disaster.

–IANS

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