Air India 171 Crash Investigation: AAIB Tells Supreme Court Final Report Due in October 2026

Key Points

A LITTLE OVER A YEAR has passed since the tragic crash of Air India 171 flight, which claimed 260 lives. On June 12, 2025, the flight took off from the Ahmedabad Airport in Gujarat enroute to the Gatwick Airport in London, but tragically, crashed seconds after take-off.  The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), who is probing into the reason behind the flight crash, was expected to release a report of its investigation on the crash’s one year anniversary, on June 12, 2026. After some delay, the Bureau has stated to the Supreme Court that its investigation is expected to be completed within six weeks, with a final draft report scheduled for October 2026.

The AAIB had filed a counter-affidavit in the top court on Tuesday, June 14, 2026, opposing the plea that sought an independent judicial probe into the flight crash. This was in response to a petition filed by Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal who was one of the two pilots-in-charge of the AI 171 flight. 

What the AAIB Investigation Has Covered So Far 

In the affidavit, the AAIB stated it is currently at the stage of “evidence collection, technical examination and forensic examination which is the core fact-finding stage,” and that the probe “in all probability” is “anticipated to be completed within approximately six weeks.”

See also: AAIB allegedly Asked Pilot Sumeet Sabharwal's Ex Wife to Support Claims That He Had a Mental Illness to Make the Pilot a Scapegoat for the Fatal Air India Plane Crash

However, the bureau has refused to share cockpit voice recordings and airborne image records, citing that there is an “absolute statutory prohibition” on such a disclosure. It maintained that sharing such information would be in violation of the  Rule 17(1) and Rule 17(5) read with Schedule C of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025.

As part of its investigation, the AAIB had examined the accident site and the plane wreckage, collected evidence including information from the flight recorders, and reviewed relevant records such as the crew members' medical history and training records. “A review of organizational culture, human factors and safety practices was undertaken. A psychological autopsy and evaluation were conducted, and the final report of the psychologist has been received,” the affidavit said.

Several witnesses were also questioned as part of the crash probe, including Air India and Boeing 787 pilots, cabin crew who had flown with the accident crew previously, air traffic controllers, and experts in human factors and crew resource management. However, the AAIB stated to the Supreme Court that the “media speculation and narrative attributing blameworthiness to the pilots” for the AI 171 crash incident have made some witnesses “restrictive and non‑responsive.”

This update came after families of the victims killed in the crash urged Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu for greater transparency in the AI 171 crash investigation. They had sought regular updates on the investigation, independent simulator tests, and to include an experienced professional pilot into the investigation team. A letter signed by 30 families, that also called for a definitive timeline for the crash report to be released, was submitted to the Civil Aviation Ministry on Sunday, June 12, 2026.

AAIB's Preliminary Report on AI 171 Crash

Within a month of the AI 171 crash, the AAIB released a preliminary report to assess the reason behind the crash. While no direct claim was made, the report did point out human error as reason behind the crash, alleging that one of the captains may have cut off fuel supply to the twin engines, making the Boeing aircraft lose thrust which eventually resulted in the tragic incident. 

See also: A Lot Went Wrong Even Before the AI171 Dreamliner's Take-Off on June 12th Last Year, Here's The Timeline

International media coverage placed the onus on Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, alleging he may have been the one who moved the fuel-control switches to “cut-off” position that starved the engines of fuel and triggered a total power loss. This media coverage was widely criticized by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIA) and Captain Sabhawal’s father. The FIA submitted a detailed letter and other documents to the AAIB in response, which pointed towards technical failures as the reason behind the flight crash. 

On June 12, 2026, which marked the one year anniversary of the crash, the AAIB gave an update that “significant progress” had been made in the analysis of the evidence collected. No other details were provided. 

What Happened in the AI 171 Crash?

The Air India 171 flight, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, took off from the Ahmedabad airport in Gujrat, bound for London’s Gatwick airport. However, just 32 seconds after the takeoff, the flight crashed into the student hostel of the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College, claiming the lives of all 241 passengers and crew members aboard, including 19 people killed at the crash site.

(Edited by Anshika Verma)

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