In June 2025, we noticed an Air India Boeing 787-8 crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad (AMD), killing 260 individuals. It was a weird accident, because the aircraft misplaced energy to each engines shortly after takeoff, and the preliminary report steered that gasoline management switches have been shut off seconds after takeoff, which suggests a chilling trigger to the accident.
It has now been months because the public has obtained any type of a significant replace as to what occurred, and at the very least publicly, it feels just like the investigation is stalled. That brings us to some attention-grabbing new particulars about what’s taking place within the background of the investigation.
US & Indian authorities aren’t on similar web page about investigation
The Wall Avenue Journal has an attention-grabbing story about what has been occurring within the background of the Air India flight AI171 crash investigation. As you’d anticipate, the investigation is being led by India’s Plane Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). Nonetheless, america’ Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) can be concerned within the investigation and is offering assist, because the plane was manufactured in america.
We knew that there had been disagreements between the AAIB and NTSB, although we’re now studying particulars about simply how dangerous they have been. It will seem that investigators in america concern that investigators in India are attempting to cover-up the reason for this accident, ignoring proof.
Because it at the moment stands, the NTSB reportedly believes that proof factors to the captain having shut off the engines and having made no effort to rescue the aircraft, with the concern being that the Indian authorities will search to hinder findings and as an alternative blame mechanical faults with the aircraft. In any case, in November 2025, an Indian supreme court docket choose dominated that the captain can’t be blamed for the crash, dismissing “nasty” experiences that he turned off the aircraft’s engines.
Based on the WSJ report, right here’s what occurred early within the investigation:
- The pinnacle of the AAIB is claimed to have informed NTSB officers that they have been “not a 3rd world nation” and “can do something you all can do”
- American investigators have been banned from taking pictures of the wreckage, a few of which was moved earlier than they might look at it
- Indian officers wished to investigate the black field knowledge within the small city of Korwa, to avoid media consideration; nevertheless, the NTSB insisted that they do that in New Delhi or Washington, over considerations of terrorism within the area
- US State Division officers needed to intercept NTSB investigators on the airport in Delhi, to stop them from boarding a navy flight to Korwa organized by the Indian authorities, after which gave India an ultimatum about the place to investigate the information, or else US assist for the investigation would finish
- The AAIB insisted on conducting some points of the investigation sequentially, vastly slowing issues down, whereas the NTSB wished a broader and sooner evaluate, to find out if there was a difficulty with the 787 that might require the aircraft to be grounded
It’s dismaying to see how this investigation is being dealt with
In the end the work that plane accident investigators do is what makes our aviation ecosystem as secure as it’s. It’s extremely vital that investigations are carried out impartially, and that we study from each accident, to do all the things potential to stop an analogous factor from taking place sooner or later.
There’s no denying that the NTSB has an outstanding monitor document with performing neutral investigations into accidents. After all on this case, the NTSB is just offering assist to the AAIB, which is (understandably) main the investigation.
The AAIB has undoubtedly been missing in the case of transparency with its investigation, and what has been communicated with the general public. For that matter, primarily based on what we all know, this investigation has been carried out at a really gradual tempo.
The factor is, it more and more looks like that is changing into political theater, greater than an precise investigation, with India’s supreme court docket getting concerned, on the request of the daddy of the captain and unions representing pilots.
Up to now, solely very restricted data has been shared about what was heard on the cockpit voice recorder. We all know that simply seconds after takeoff, the gasoline cutoff switches have been turned off, one after the opposite, with a niche of only one second. The primary officer was heard asking the captain why he lower off the engines, to which the captain responded that he didn’t achieve this. The primary officer tried to drag up on the nostril, whereas the captain didn’t.
On the Indian aspect, the declare appears to be that there was some type of an unprecedented mechanical situation that prompted gasoline to be shut off with out the pilots manually doing it. One element that hasn’t been launched — which looks as if it will be fairly conclusive — is that if the sound of the gasoline cutoff switches being moved was heard on the cockpit voice recorder. Transferring the switches makes fairly a loud noise, and this will surely have been heard on the cockpit voice recorder.
If the sound of the switches transferring was heard, then I don’t perceive how anybody can declare that it wasn’t one of many pilots who shut off the engines. If it wasn’t heard, then that’s a serious element that might exonerate the pilots.
Backside line
The investigation into the crash of Air India flight AI171 has actually left the general public confused, given the shortage of updates, plus the involvement of Indian courts in deciding what investigators can and may’t say.
A brand new report means that there have been fairly some tensions between US and Indian authorities. Based on the report, US investigators appear assured that the captain deliberately sabotaged the plane, whereas Indian investigators consider it was one thing else.
It’s actually unlucky to see the course this investigation is taking. I hope this investigation doesn’t find yourself taking the identical course as EgyptAir 990…
What do you make of the investigation of the crash of AI171?
