Ahmedabad, Sept. 2: The investigation into the June 2025 Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad has reached its final stage, with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) working towards finalising its report in accordance with prescribed national and international aviation protocols, Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said.
Naidu said the remaining steps in the investigation were being completed before the final report is issued. The minister’s statement comes as the probe continues to remain under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions seeking an independent and court-monitored investigation into the crash.
The Centre had earlier informed the Supreme Court that the final draft report would be submitted in a sealed cover in the first week of October. The court has scheduled the next hearing in the matter for October 13.
The government had informed the court in July that the statutory investigation being conducted by the AAIB had substantially progressed. It had also told the bench that four simulation tests had been conducted in connection with an application filed by one of the petitioners.
The Supreme Court subsequently decided to await the findings of the statutory investigation before considering whether any further inquiry was necessary.
The investigation into the crash has involved technical and international dimensions, with the AAIB conducting its work under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, as amended, as well as the standards and recommended practices contained in Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The probe has involved accredited representatives, technical advisers and subject matter experts from relevant organisations.
Naidu has previously maintained that the investigation should follow the prescribed international process and should not be rushed at the expense of completing the required technical procedures. He had earlier said that the AAIB was following the international protocol strictly.
The AAIB had released its preliminary report on July 12, 2025, providing factual information about the accident. The preliminary findings recorded that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches moved from the ‘RUN’ position to the ‘CUTOFF’ position shortly after take-off.
The movement of the switches resulted in a loss of engine thrust. However, the preliminary report did not constitute a final determination of the cause of the accident.
AI-171 was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Air India on a scheduled flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick. The aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025.
The aircraft was carrying 241 people, all of whom died in the crash, according to the information provided in the investigation’s reporting. Nineteen people on the ground were also killed, taking the total death toll to 260. One passenger survived.
The aircraft crashed in the Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad and struck the BJ Medical College doctors’ hostel.
The disaster prompted a wide-ranging investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, including aircraft systems, flight data, operational circumstances and human factors.
The final AAIB report is expected to provide the investigators’ conclusions regarding the causes and contributing factors behind the accident.
The timing of the final report has also become significant in view of the ongoing Supreme Court proceedings. The Centre’s earlier submission regarding the final draft report placed its expected submission in the first week of October, while the next hearing before the Supreme Court is scheduled for October 13.
The investigation is being carried out within the statutory framework governing aircraft accident investigations in India and the international standards applicable to such investigations.
With the probe now described by the Civil Aviation Minister as being in its final stage, attention is expected to focus on the conclusions reached by the AAIB once its final report is issued.
The final findings will be distinct from the preliminary factual report released in July 2025 and are expected to address the causes and contributing factors identified through the detailed investigation.
