Air India Crash: Investigation Continues as Final Report Remains Pending
On 12 June 2025, a Boeing 787‑8 operated by Air India (flight AI‑171) crashed minutes after take‑off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people aboard and injuring 19 ground personnel. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is still working on a final report, which will be released once the investigation concludes.
A preliminary analysis released last year linked the crash to an abrupt movement of fuel‑control switches into a cut‑off position, cutting fuel flow to the engines and causing a total loss of power. Cockpit voice‑recording footage captured one pilot questioning the other about the aircraft’s fuel situation, with the other negating any intentional action. While the identities of the pilots remain undisclosed, subsequent media reporting has focused on the senior pilot, Captain Sabharwal, raising questions about crew involvement.
Reactions from pilots’ associations and the AAIB have criticized the press coverage, emphasizing that no definitive conclusion about pilot culpability has been reached and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Although the significant progress cited by the AAIB indicates advanced stages of analysis—examining aircraft systems, flight‑recorder data, engine components, and maintenance records—no timeframe for completing the full investigation has been disclosed. The final report will provide a comprehensive explanation of the causative factors and will be available upon its completion.
Image credit: EPA
