The final report into the Air India AI171 crash that killed 260 people last year is unlikely to be released on the first anniversary of the disaster on June 12, with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) expected to delay publication pending further engine analysis.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Thursday renewed its demand for a judicial probe into the AI-171 crash and urged authorities not to release any interim investigation report, saying it would create further confusion and speculation.
Addressing a news conference on the eve of the first anniversary of the aviation tragedy, FIP president C.S. Randhawa said the association wants the AAIB to release a final report only after completing a comprehensive investigation.
He also said the ongoing probe has several shortcomings and has unfairly shifted focus towards the pilots.
The FIP, which represents over 5,400 pilots and aviation professionals, has already approached the Supreme Court seeking a judicial probe into the crash.
He reiterated that a judicial probe is necessary.
The final probe report could provide the most detailed explanation yet of what went wrong in one of India's deadliest aviation disasters.
The GE Aerospace-made engines have been at the centre of the probe into the crash of the Air India plane.
A preliminary report released last year showed the 787's engine fuel control switches moved almost simultaneously from "RUN" to "CUTOFF," starving both engines of fuel shortly after the flight took off.
RUN means fuel is flowing and the engines are operating, while CUTOFF means fuel supply is stopped and the engines shut down.
The important part of the AI 171 investigation is the aircraft's black boxes.
Investigators were able to recover data from the front flight recorder but the tail-mounted recorder was badly damaged.
One pilot was heard asking the other why he cut off the fuel. The other pilot replied that he did not do it. At least one pilot believed the fuel had been cut off, but the other denied doing it.
Randhawa alleged that the AAIB's preliminary report, released in July last year, led to speculation about pilot error after it referred to the movement of fuel control switches.
"The Western media immediately built a suicide theory around a brief cockpit voice recorder transcript. We strongly condemned those reports. It is too premature to blame the pilots," he said.
He claimed that the Boeing aircraft had a history of technical issues, including a stabiliser defect and problems linked to pressurisation and air-conditioning systems, before operating the ill-fated flight.
According to Randhawa, the investigation has not adequately examined the possibility of electrical system failures on the Boeing 787 aircraft.
"Our stand from day one has been that there were electrical issues which need a thorough investigation. No pilot touched the fuel control switches. The fuel supply may have been cut off because of electrical failures affecting aircraft systems," he alleged.
The AAIB said at the time it was "too early to reach any definite conclusions."
The FIP president further claimed that several messages, in the form of numerical codes, relating to the aircraft's health monitoring systems were transmitted to Boeing and Air India before the crash and should be examined by investigators.
He also criticised the composition of the investigation team, alleging that more subject matter experts, including experienced pilots, engineers and flight safety specialists, should have been included in the probe.
Randhawa said the association had written more than 20 letters to the AAIB, the ministry of civil aviation and other authorities raising concerns over the investigation.
He maintained that the purpose of an accident investigation should be to establish facts and improve aviation safety rather than assign blame.
"The truth must prevail. The objective is to prevent another such accident and ensure justice for the victims and their families," he said.
AAIB conducted engine testing in April and visited France last month as part of an analysis of the engine management unit, a source told Reuters on the condition of anonymity because the information is not public.
They were also analysing the engine management unit.
Earlier on June 4, Bloomberg News reported the final report into the crash was expected within three months once studies of the engines, which had been sent to the US for examination, were concluded.
Global aviation investigations follow rules set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) under Annex 13. A final crash report should ideally be published within 12 months, if possible. If the final report is not ready within one year, then the investigating agency must release an interim statement every year on the anniversary.
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI 171, flying from Ahmedabad to London, crashed seconds after takeoff. The aircraft struck student hostels at BJ Medical College, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, along with 19 people on the ground.
One passenger survived while all 12 crew members died in the accident that happened during the initial climb. Among the passengers who died were citizens from the UK, Portugal, and Canada.
Vishwarkumar Ramesh was the only person who survived the tragedy and walked away from the wreckage in extraordinary scenes that left the world shocked.