Indian investigators are expected to miss the 12 June deadline for the final report on the crash of Air India Flight 171, which killed 260 people last year. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025, hitting a medical college hostel and killing all 242 on board except one British survivor, plus 19 people on the ground.
International regulations require a final accident report within a year of a crash, detailing probable cause and safety recommendations. However, sources indicate the complexity of the investigation, particularly engine analysis, will delay the report. India's civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu, said last month the probe was in its 'last stage' and the report would 'mostly' be ready by the anniversary, but the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not committed to that date.
A preliminary report released 30 days after the crash revealed that both fuel control switches moved from 'run' to 'cutoff' three seconds after take-off, starving the engines. The switches returned to 'run' after about ten seconds, but the aircraft had already lost thrust. Cockpit recordings captured one pilot asking the other why fuel was cut, with the other denying responsibility. The preliminary report did not assign cause.
Investigators conducted engine tests in April and travelled to France in May to analyse the engine management unit. A Bloomberg report suggested the final report could be ready within three months, once engine studies are complete. However, the sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, was not formally interviewed until 29 March 2025, eight months after the crash, potentially further delaying the investigation.
Families of the deceased and injured parties are awaiting the report, as lawsuits against Air India and Boeing proceed in UK and US courts. The Federation of Indian Pilots wrote to the prime minister's office on 5 June requesting that an interim report not be released, arguing it would be insufficient. Previous major crash reports, such as MH370 and United Airlines Flight 585, took years to finalise.
