Ahmedabad, India:
A month after one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters, the preliminary report on the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad is expected to be released “very soon,” according to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and senior officials of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The crash of Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, occurred shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, killing 250 of the 251 passengers. The aircraft crashed into a medical hostel complex, leaving only one survivor.
The report, to be issued by the AAIB, is expected to shed initial light on what caused the aircraft to lose thrust just 30 seconds into flight.
“The report is will be out very soon,” Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Friday.
Officials from the AAIB told a parliamentary panel earlier this week that the preliminary report will be released in the coming days, and it will be made public.
🔍 Key Developments in the Investigation:
- The AAIB’s investigation team includes experts in aviation medicine, air traffic control, and international representation from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
- The report is expected to be basic and factual, providing an overview of findings from the first 30 days of the probe. Officials have not clarified the extent of detail the report will include.
- This marks the first time in India that investigators are analyzing the black box data domestically with foreign collaboration.
- The cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) have been retrieved and analyzed. The pilot reportedly issued a mayday before the crash.
- According to Bloomberg, the investigation is also looking into the movement of fuel control switches located in the center console of the cockpit. It is not yet known whether these were toggled by the pilots — either intentionally or inadvertently.
- Investigators have not found any design or mechanical fault in the Boeing aircraft or its GE engines, sources say.
- Several videos shared online appear to show the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed, typically a sign of dual engine failure. However, experts argue that restarting engines at such low altitude and speed would have been unfeasible.
The aviation community is awaiting the preliminary findings, which are expected to guide the next phase of the investigation and potentially offer clues to prevent similar tragedies in the future.