Air India and the Indian government are examining multiple factors surrounding the crash of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, including suspected issues with engine thrust, flap functionality, and why the landing gear failed to retract, a source familiar with the probe told Reuters on Friday.
Authorities are also scrutinising potential lapses by Air India, including its aircraft maintenance practices, the source added.
Police officials confirmed to Reuters that a black box has been retrieved from the wreckage of the aircraft, which nosedived and killed over 240 people.
Earlier on Friday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed Air India to conduct intensified safety inspections on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet powered by GEnx engines.
“On 12.06.2025, Air India’s B787-800 aircraft was involved in an accident while operating flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick. As a precautionary measure, DGCA instructs Air India to immediately undertake additional maintenance checks on B787-8/9 aircraft fitted with GEnx engines, in coordination with respective regional DGCA offices,” the order stated.
These additional checks will cover various onboard systems and include a review of the take-off performance metrics of the Dreamliner fleet, which is owned by the Tata Group.
Air India currently operates 26 Boeing 787-8 and 7 Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The regulator also stressed that maintenance tasks identified from repeated technical faults logged over the past 15 days on B787-8/9 aircraft must be addressed and closed at the earliest.
The Ahmedabad city police have registered a case of accidental death in the Air India plane crash incident that claimed the lives of 265 people, including 241 passengers and crew members, officials said on Friday.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has already launched a formal investigation into the incident. Officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other central agencies on Friday visited the plane crash site in Meghaninagar area, reported PTI, quoting sources.
The crash site, called 'Old IGP Campus', houses residential quarters of MBBS students and resident doctors of BJ Medical College affiliated to the Civil Hospital, which is close to the crash site.
As per the accidental death report filed by the Meghaninagar police station on Thursday evening, they received the information about the crash and the resultant fire at around 1.44 pm on Thursday.
During the firefighting operation, the police found that the majority of the passengers as well as crew members were charred to death and their bodies taken to civil hospital in ambulances, said the police report, adding that people living in doctors' residence also lost their lives in the crash.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Dhrumit Gandhi on Friday said the search and rescue operation concluded in the morning.
"Our search and rescue operation came to an end in the morning and the site has been handed over to forensic experts as well as civil aviation officials. A team of firemen, equipped with tools such as metal cutters, are accompanying them to help them in clearing the debris for the purpose of the probe," he told PTI.
Air India is required to submit reports of these inspections to DGCA for further evaluation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the scene of the crash on Friday and met the injured at the Ahmedabad civil hospital. He spent around 20 minutes at the crash site.
Meanwhile, GE Aerospace, the manufacturer of the GEnx engines that powered the ill-fated aircraft, said in a statement that it is working in close coordination with relevant regulatory and investigative bodies.
The aircraft that crashed en route to London Gatwick was equipped with GEnx engines, produced by GE Aerospace.
On Thursday, the company stated that it stands ready to assist Air India and support the ongoing investigation into the fatal crash.
The accident claimed the lives of more than 240 people.
(With inputs from Reuters and PTI)