While certain section of the media has already given a clean chit and created an environment to blame the pilots of the ill-fated Air India B787 Dreamliner, preliminary investigation report is yet to be released by India.
Clearing the role of the Aircraft in the accident, few outlets published that the accident does not point, for now, to a failure of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner or its engines, but rather to human intervention in the aircraft's critical systems.
As per some News Agencies, the investigation into the June 12 crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, has led authorities to focus their attention on the actions of the pilots and the handling of fuel controls as key factors in the tragedy.
Agencies went on to explain that depriving engines of the ATF during the take-off, the situation caused the loss of thrust in both engines almost simultaneously, which resulted in the activation of the emergency generator, known as the ram air turbine (RAT).
However, no reports from India has emerged yet, and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary investigation report on the fatal Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month is expected very soon, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Friday and emphasised that the ministry is ensuring transparency and accountability in the probe.
"Very soon... AAIB is working on it... it is the responsibility of AAIB, let them do their job," Naidu said.
He was responding to a query on when the preliminary probe report on the Air India aircraft crash is expected to be released.
On June 12, Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI 171 en-route to London Gatwick crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 who were onboard the plane. One passenger survived the crash.
The ministry is ensuring that transparency and accountability is there in the whole investigation process, the minister said on the sidelines of a conference here.
Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) norms, AAIB can submit a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident to it.
According to the AAIB , the preliminary report was scheduled to be published on the Friday following the accident. However, the length or level of detail the technical document would include was not specified.
Earlier, NTSB considered suspending its collaboration. However, its technical team remained in the country until the completion of the analysis phase.
The process also involved the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) , which designated a specialist as an observer following diplomatic efforts with the Indian government. ICAO declined to comment publicly on its role in the investigation, stating that all official communication is the responsibility of the host state.
The aircraft's impact on a medical student residence resulted in devastating casualties, including those inside the building.
The crash was the fatal accident involving a Boeing Dreamliner since its entry into service in 2011. The crashed aircraft had been delivered to Air India in January 2014 and had no history of technical failures or serious events prior to the incident.
Air India said the flight involved in the accident was piloted by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, with more than 10,000 hours of flight time on wide-body aircraft, and co-pilot Clive Kunder , who had more than 3,400 hours of experience. Both were members of the airline's regular pilot staff.
An evaluation of the crew's operational history ruled out training deficiencies as a factor in the accident. However, the pilots' actions in the minutes following takeoff remain under review. The investigation seeks to determine whether any decisions or maneuvers directly contributed to the accident.
It's to be noted that the Ahmedabad crash was also the first time that the best-selling wide-body Dreamliner or Boeing 787 suffered a fatal accident resulting in hull loss.
Not only Boeing, agencies like FAA and NTSB are eagerly waiting for the outcome of the investigation as any finger towards the manufacturer of the Dreamliner or technological malfunction will be a big set back for the Seattle based aerospace giant.
The development of the subsequent stages will depend on the technical analysis that the AAIB will conduct in the coming months. The entire process could take more than a year, in accordance with international standards for this type of investigation. The final conclusions should clarify the causes of the accident, establish responsibilities.
Worth noting at this moment, aviation industry still awaits the investigation result of the fatal China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 (MU5735) crash which was a domestic passenger flight from Kunming Changshui International Airport to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China.
The Boeing 737-89P plane descended steeply mid-flight and struck the ground at high speed in Teng County of Guangxi, killing all 132 passengers and crew on board at 14:23 China Standard Time on 21 March 2022.
In an April 2022 statement, the CAAC dismissed speculation about the cause of the crash, which has included reports in American news media that the aircraft may have been deliberately crashed, as misleading and as complicating the investigation.
However, on 19 May 2025, in response to an open government information request, the CAAC said that it decided not to release an annual interim investigation report to the public because releasing the report might "endanger national security and societal stability"
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