The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) categorically clarified that reports suggesting the investigation into the Air India Flight AI-171 accident has been finalised are “incorrect and speculative.”
“The investigation is still in progress. No final conclusions have been reached,” the AAIB said. The clarification came after an Italian media report suggested that India’s final investigation report into the June 12, 2025 Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad could point to pilot action, even though no such conclusion has been officially confirmed.
The AAIB said it conducts investigations strictly in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025 and India’s obligations under ICAO Annex 13. It emphasised that aircraft accident investigations are technical, evidence-based processes aimed at determining root causes and enhancing safety.
The agency said that the preliminary report released earlier provided factual information available at that stage while the final report, containing conclusions and safety recommendations, will be published upon completion of the investigation in line with established international norms.
What Italian Media Report Claimed
According to a report published by Corriere della Sera, Indian investigators are preparing to state in the final accident report that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed because one of the pilots moved both engine fuel switches from “Run” to “Cutoff” shortly after takeoff. The act was described by sources cited in the report as “almost certainly intentional.”
The Italian newspaper said it was reporting on what the final probe report may conclude, citing Western aviation sources familiar with discussions between Indian and US investigators. Those sources claimed that no technical malfunction has been identified that could explain the near-simultaneous loss of power in both engines.
Read more:Italian Media Report On Pilot’s Role In Ahmedabad Air India Crash Sparks Debate
The report said the London-bound aircraft crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport. Simulator tests conducted in the US reportedly failed to reproduce a scenario in which both engines shut down due to a mechanical fault, leaving human intervention as the only plausible explanation, according to the sources cited.
Indian authorities, including the AAIB, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Ministry, did not respond to the newspaper’s queries.
Earlier, when similar insinuations surfaced following preliminary findings, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association (ICPA) had strongly objected to suggestions placing blame on the flight crew of Air India Flight 171. In an official statement, the pilots’ body described the accusations as a “gross violation” and a “disservice to the profession,” warning against speculative narratives, particularly those hinting at pilot suicide.
What Government Said in Parliament
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry addressed questions on the investigation process in the Lok Sabha earlier saying that the AAIB is conducting the probe strictly in accordance with standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
“The EAFRs are in the custody of AAIB since their retrieval from the crash site and are under constant security and CCTV surveillance,” the government said.
