Air India AI-171 final crash report delayed past one-year mark due to engine analysis

The government agency probing last year’s Air India crash has delayed its final report, saying the investigation into the country’s worst commercial airline disaster isn’t finished yet.

Final report delayed due to incomplete analysis of airplane’s engines

Indian investigators are anticipated to postpone the final report on the Air India Boeing 787 crash beyond its one-year anniversary, citing the need for a thorough engine analysis. The GE Aerospace engines have been central to the probe into the June 12, 2025 crash shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives and was the deadliest air disaster globally in a decade.A preliminary report last year revealed that the 787’s engine fuel control switches shifted nearly simultaneously from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” cutting off fuel to both engines soon after takeoff. Investigators conducted engine tests in April and visited France last month to study the engine management unit, according to a report by Reuters.Bloomberg News earlier reported that the final report is expected within three months of completing the U.S.-based engine examinations. While international rules stipulate a final report within a year, complex investigations sometimes extend timelines, in which case an interim statement is issued on each anniversary. It was previously reported that Indian authorities were preparing an interim report due to the investigation’s complexity.FPJ Exclusive: Air India 171 Crash Final Report Unlikely By June 12 As UK AAIB Says Draft Yet To Be Shared The crash occurred during Air India’s post-privatisation turnaround, which faced challenges from supply-chain issues, the Iran conflict, and Pakistan’s airspace ban. Cockpit recordings suggested the captain may have cut fuel flow, though the AAIB maintained that it was “too early to reach any definite conclusions.”The captain’s father petitioned India’s top court for an independent inquiry exploring causes beyond potential pilot action. The Federation of Indian Pilots requested postponing the interim report and urged investigators to collect additional technical data from Boeing and Air India to challenge the pilot-suicide theory. The preliminary report did not recommend any safety actions, and the crash marked the first fatal incident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since its 2011 introduction.

One year after India’s deadliest Boeing 787 crash, the final report is still delayed. Aviation Cargo Chairman, Vandana Singh, joins Bloomberg's Insight with Haslinda Amin to discuss investigation gaps, safety reforms, and what’s needed to restore public confidence in Indian aviation. (Source: Bloomberg)

Mumbai: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release an interim investigation report on Friday, the first year anniversary of the catastrophic crash of Air India flight AI-171. The investigative body has missed the one-year deadline for releasing its final investigation report and is believed to substitute it with an interim report. Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Annex 13 protocols, investigative bodies are expected to deliver a definitive final report within 12 months of an accident. When a probe remains unfinished, an interim statement or status update must be published. According to senior ministry sources, the final dossier on India’s deadliest aviation disaster will not be released on the first anniversary. According to sources, the delay stems from a complex, multi-nation investigation involving the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and GE Aerospace. Highly specialised technical analysis remains incomplete, specifically regarding the forensic review of the GE Engines and flight data recorder. FPJ Exclusive: 8 Hours Of Ringing, 1 Year Of Silence - Air India Flight 171 Families Seek Answers The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s engines – which were burnt but largely structurally intact – were shipped to the United States for a teardown analysis. Investigators are awaiting final reports from GE Aerospace engineers to conclusively determine mechanical integrity before impact. On the other hand, the severely damaged flight data recorder was sent to the US twice for retrieval, but reportedly failed both times. The decision to release an interim report instead of waiting for a final conclusion has drawn severe backlash. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has fiercely opposed the interim release, firing off a letter to the AAIB Director General. FIP President CS Randhawa warned that an incomplete, intermediate report would "lead to greater confusion and speculations" and could deeply compromise the integrity of the probe.  At a press conference in Ahmedabad, the FIP further alleged that the local probe lacks sufficient deep-systems technical expertise, noting that Boeing and Honeywell components were cleared too early in the cycle.