Air India crash probe may end in 6 weeks, Supreme Court informed

AAIB told the Supreme Court that its investigation into the Air India AI171 crash is nearing completion, with a draft final report expected by October after international consultations

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has told the Supreme Court that its investigation into the June 12, 2025, Air India AI171 crash is likely to be completed within six weeks, with a draft final report expected by October.

 

In an affidavit filed ahead of the July 17 hearing of petitions seeking an independent inquiry into the crash, the Bureau said the investigation remained subject to certain external dependencies but was nearing completion.

 

The AAIB said investigators are currently in the core fact-finding phase, involving evidence collection, technical assessment and forensic examination of the aircraft and its components.

   

Once the draft report is prepared, it will be shared with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), representing the State of Design and Manufacture under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) norms. The consultation process is expected to take 30 to 60 days, depending on the comments received.

 

The Bureau said it has questioned several witnesses, including Air India and Boeing 787 pilots, cabin crew who had previously flown with the accident crew, air traffic controllers, and experts in human factors and crew resource management.

 

However, it noted that media speculation and public narratives suggesting pilot culpability had made some witnesses reluctant to cooperate fully.

 

According to the affidavit, specialists in aeronautical engineering, aviation medicine, aviation psychology and flight recorder analysis have also been assisting the investigation.

 

Opposing demands for a court-monitored or independent probe, the AAIB argued that aircraft accident investigations are governed by a comprehensive statutory and international framework, leaving no scope for a parallel inquiry.

 

The Bureau informed the court that it has completed 49 of the 66 procedural steps prescribed for investigating a serious aircraft accident.

 

All the mandatory safeguards, including preservation of evidence, recovery and examination of flight recorders, participation of accredited representatives, technical evaluation of aircraft systems, stakeholder consultations and circulation of the draft report, are being followed, it informed the court.

 

The AAIB affidavit also rejected requests to disclose cockpit voice recordings and airborne image recordings, saying Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, imposes an absolute bar on making such material public.

 

Any disclosure of these recordings could discourage witnesses from cooperating freely, undermining the objective of safety investigations, it said.

 

The AAIB reiterated that its inquiry is intended solely to improve aviation safety and prevent future accidents, and not to determine civil or criminal liability or assign blame. It added that the identities of those involved in the accident cannot be disclosed in the final report under the 2025 Rules.

 

Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed moments after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, including 19 on the ground. Among the petitioners is the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who has challenged the AAIB's preliminary report, alleging it has fuelled speculation of pilot error. The Safety Matters Foundation has separately sought the constitution of a formal inquiry committee.

 

During an earlier hearing, Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said the court wanted the investigation to proceed without becoming a "blame game" and noted that pilots' families and relatives of the victims were awaiting the findings with considerable anxiety.