Air India crash: Draft final report will be ready by October, AAIB tells Supreme Court
More than a year after the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killing 260 people, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has told the Supreme Court that it expects to complete its investigation within six weeks and will submit a “draft final report” that is likely to be ready by October.
“Given the nature, scale and complexity of the current accident, the AAIB has carefully considered the timeline required for the completion of the investigation. In all likelihood, investigation activities, subject to the resolution of outstanding external dependencies, are expected to be completed within six weeks,” said the statement submitted by the AAIB Director General ahead of the hearing on 17 July for an independent investigation into the accident.
In accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rules, the draft report will first be shared with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US agency representing the State of Design and Manufacturing, for comment. According to the Bureau, the consultation process may take 30 to 60 days, depending on the nature and complexity of the responses received.
AAIB General Manager stated that the investigation is currently in the “evidence collection, technical examination and forensic examination” phase, which he described as the basic information gathering phase. At this stage, investigators are given the authority to access and examine the aircraft involved in the accident and all its components.
‘Pilot accusation narrative’ influencing witnesses
The court was also informed that the investigation team interviewed a number of witnesses, including Air India and Boeing 787 pilots, crew members who had previously flown with the pilots of the crashed aircraft, air traffic control personnel and human factors and crew resource management experts.
However, the Bureau acknowledged that “media speculation” and the “narrative attributing blame to the pilots” made some witnesses “inhibited and unresponsive” during the investigation. It was also stated that experienced pilots, aviation engineers, aviation medicine experts, aviation psychologists and flight recorder experts were assigned to assist in the investigation.
‘There is no scope for parallel investigation’
The affidavit also opposed the petitioners’ request for a court-monitored or independent investigation, arguing that the investigation was conducted in accordance with international standards and the applicable legal framework, leaving no scope for judicial review or a parallel investigation.
“It is therefore respectfully submitted that the legal and treaty framework governing the aircraft crash investigation constitutes a carefully layered legal regime… This constitutes a complete law that leaves no loopholes that could justify the creation of a parallel investigative body,” he said.
The office also told the court that it had completed 49 of the 66 procedural steps required for the investigation of a serious plane crash. All precautions, including preservation of evidence, recovery and analysis of flight recorders, involvement of accredited representatives, technical review of aircraft systems, consultation with stakeholders and dissemination of the draft report, were “rigorously pursued,” according to the affidavit.
Disclosure of cockpit recordings is prohibited
Strongly opposing the petitioners’ request for disclosure of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and airborne video recordings, the AAIB said Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft (Accidents and Incidents Investigation) Rules 2025 imposes an “absolute legal prohibition” on the public disclosure of such material.
“If witnesses and individuals involved in the aircraft operation know that their statements may be disclosed in the aircraft crash or in civil litigation, they will become cautious or reluctant to cooperate, thereby defeating the primary purpose of the security investigation,” the affidavit states.
The bureau also explained that the sole purpose of an aircraft crash investigation is to improve aviation safety and prevent future accidents, not to apportion blame or determine civil or criminal liability. He added that as per Rule 17(3) of the 2025 Rules, the identities of persons involved in the accident or incident cannot be disclosed in the final report.
Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft Air India Flight AI171 crashed immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The crash claimed the lives of all but one of the 241 people on board, and also killed 19 people on the ground.
Among those calling for an independent investigation is the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots of the ill-fated flight. He objected to the AAIB’s preliminary report, arguing that it fueled speculation of possible pilot error. Separately, the NGO Foundation for Safety Matters also requested the establishment of an official investigation committee to investigate the accident.
Earlier, the top court had asked the Union government to bring on record the procedural protocol governing the AAIB probe, observing that the proceedings should not become a “blame game”. “There are a lot of concerns and question marks in the minds of the pilots and their close relatives.” [of those who died]… We are also eagerly awaiting the results of the investigation. We also want to see what they have to say,” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant had said.
It was published – 15 July 2026 12:19 IST
