The Air India Boeing 787, identified as flight 171, crashed into a medical college building just minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on 12 June 2025, killing all 241 passengers and crew aboard and 19 people on the ground.
In a recent affidavit to the Supreme Court, the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) confirmed it is in the final analysis phase of its investigation and expects to complete its work by October, roughly six weeks from now.
Following a lawsuit by a pilot’s family requesting an independent inquiry, the AAIB expanded its human‑factors review to include a psychological autopsy, a detailed transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and a thorough audit of crew training records.
The preliminary report, issued the month after the crash, identified a sudden shift of the fuel‑control switches to a cut‑off position, starving the engines of fuel and causing total power loss. Audio from the cockpit captured a pilot questioning the other about the move, but the identity of each voice remains unconfirmed.
Media speculation has focused on a senior pilot, Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, despite the investigations acknowledging the lack of definitive evidence linking him to the fatal decision. The AAIB noted that such narrative pressure has caused some witnesses to resist cooperation.
Over 49 of the 66 mandated procedural steps for a major aircraft incident have been completed, including site examination, wreckage recovery, evidence collection and documentation review.
The forthcoming draft report will consolidate these findings, once the analysis concludes, and will be presented to the Supreme Court. Civil society and aviation stakeholders await the document to assess accountability and safety measures in India’s aviation sector.
