Air India 171 crash preliminary report submitted, public release expected this week

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted its preliminary report on the Air India 171 plane crash to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other relevant authorities, top government officials confirmed today. The report, based on the bureau's initial assessment and findings from the early phase of the investigation, is expected to be released to the public later this week. While the specific contents of the report remain confidential for now, it is anticipated to provide critical information regarding the cause of the tragic incident.

The Air India flight 171, a Boeing 787 bound for London from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport, crashed on June 12, 2025, just 32 seconds after takeoff. The horrific accident resulted in the deaths of 241 people on board, including 10 cabin crew members and two pilots, as well as several casualties on the ground, bringing the total death toll to 260. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims, with only one person, seated in seat 11A, surviving the tragedy.

Investigators had recovered the plane's black boxes – the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) – from the crash site on June 13 and June 16, respectively. Data from these crucial devices has been successfully downloaded and is being meticulously examined. In an attempt to understand potential scenarios, Air India training pilots on the Boeing 787 fleet recently recreated flight conditions in Mumbai, including simulating electrical failures that could lead to a dual-engine flame-out. The investigation is also focusing on the position of fuel switches and whether an accidental switch-off of engines occurred during the critical takeoff phase, particularly given that pilots are not trained for dual-engine failure at very low altitudes.