Air India Crash Inquiry Delayed: Officials Call for More Time
Investigators looking into the cause of the Air India crash that killed 250 people say they are not yet ready to release their final report.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that “significant progress” had been made in the analysis of evidence, but that work is ongoing. The bureau noted that the final report will be released only after all investigative activities and international review processes are finished.
The 787 Dreamliner crashed 6 km from Ahmedabad airport, striking a building at Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, with an explosion that caused additional ground casualties.
Out of 242 people on board, 241 died, including 169 Indian nationals and 53 Britons. One passenger survived, Viswashkumar Ramesh of Leicester, who was rescued from the wreckage.
Earlier preliminary findings suggested that fuel‑control switches moved to a “cut‑off” position seconds after take‑off, starving the engines. Audio from the cockpit captured an exchange where a pilot asked the other why he had made the change, to which the other replied he did not. However, the pilot’s identity remains unclear.
The investigation has recently focused on senior pilot Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, amid media reports implying his actions were decisive. Pilots’ associations in India have strongly denied that the crash was caused by pilot error and criticised the AAIB’s coverage of the case.
In a recent interview, Sabharwal’s father, Pushkar Raj, expressed determination to protect his son’s reputation after facing accusations. “Every time an accident occurs, the pilot is blamed as a simple way to close the chapter,” Raj said.
The AAIB’s statement reiterates that the sole purpose of an accident investigation is to enhance aviation safety through lessons and safety recommendations, not to assign blame or liability.
India’s civil aviation minister previously indicated that the final report would be available after a month, after stating the investigation was in its “last stage”. The AAIB’s update on the anniversary of the crash aligns with international aviation rules for providing victims’ families with timely information.
