One year of Air India Plane Crash: Several questions still remain unsewered; final report delay likely

As the first anniversary of the Air India plane crash approaches, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has still not released its final report. As per the sources, investigators need additional time to complete the detailed technical assessments of the aircraft’s engines and related systems.

On 12 June 2025, Air India Flight 171 took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad. Just 32 seconds after departure, the London-bound aircraft crashed into the hostel of Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 

The accident killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 individuals on the ground.

In the days that followed, the incident sent shockwaves across India. Passengers were gripped by fear, while those associated with the medical college in Ahmedabad struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.

One year after Air India Flight AI171 crashed, investigators continue to seek answers to the central question that has defined the probe since 12 June 2025: why both engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner lost fuel within seconds of take-off.

The crash remains one of the most intensely examined aviation accidents in recent years. It was the deadliest air disaster worldwide in a decade and the first fatal crash involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011.

As the first anniversary of the Air India plane crash approaches, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has still not released its final report. Sources familiar with the investigation told Reuters that investigators need additional time to complete the detailed technical assessments of the aircraft’s engines and related systems.

The delay means that although investigators have established a detailed timeline of the aircraft’s final moments, the underlying cause of the events remains undetermined.

Why investigators are not yet ready with a final report

International aviation standards recommend that accident investigators release a final report within one year of a crash, whenever feasible.

However, the guidelines also acknowledge that complex investigations may take longer. In such cases, authorities are expected to issue progress updates on the anniversary of the accident while continuing their work.

According to sources familiar with the probe, Indian authorities are likely to miss the one-year deadline because critical technical examinations are still incomplete.

Reuters reported last month that officials were preparing an interim report instead of a final one, as the investigation remained highly complex and time-consuming. A source at the time said no decision had yet been made on when the final report would be completed.

Subsequently, Bloomberg reported that investigators expect to wrap up the probe within a few months once the ongoing engine studies are finished.

The analysis has focused primarily on the aircraft’s GE Aerospace engines. Sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that engine-related testing was conducted in April, followed by a visit to France in May to examine the engine management unit. Components from the engines have also been sent to the United States for detailed forensic analysis. These ongoing technical examinations are among the main reasons the final report has not yet been released.

Neither the AAIB, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, Boeing, GE Aerospace, nor the US National Transportation Safety Board immediately commented on the latest reports concerning the timing of the final report.

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What the preliminary investigation established 

Although investigators have not yet identified the ultimate cause of the accident, they have successfully reconstructed much of the sequence of events during the aircraft’s final moments.

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released on 12 July 2025, highlighted a critical occurrence seconds after take-off: both engine fuel-control switches moved from the “RUN” position to the “CUTOFF” position shortly after the aircraft became airborne.

This switch movement stopped fuel flow to both engines, causing thrust to drop almost immediately. The aircraft rapidly lost the power required to sustain flight and began descending. Investigators found that the switches were later returned to the “RUN” position and that attempts were made to restart the engines. However, the plane had neither sufficient altitude nor time to recover before impact.

The preliminary findings clearly established what occurred inside the cockpit. What they have not determined is why it occurred — a question that remains at the heart of the investigation one year on.

One year after the crash, nearly all discussion surrounding Flight AI171 revolves around one central question: What caused the fuel-control switches to move?

Investigators, aviation experts, and pilot representatives have explored multiple possibilities.

One theory under consideration is that the switches were deliberately moved by a pilot. Reuters reported last year that a cockpit voice recording examined by US officials was part of an early assessment suggesting the captain may have cut off fuel flow to the engines.

Some aviation experts have argued that moving both fuel-control switches in such a short timeframe would normally require deliberate action. However, investigators have repeatedly cautioned against jumping to conclusions before all available evidence has been fully examined.

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