Air India crash anniversary: Families await final report as engine analysis continues

One year after an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, victims’ families gathered at the crash site on Friday to mark the anniversary. While relatives held a candlelight vigil, they continue to await a final investigation report from Indian authorities, who are expected to release only an interim statement. The delay stems from the need for further analysis of the aircraft’s engines, a process that has extended well beyond the one-year mark typically observed under international aviation rules.

Flight AI171, en route to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff on 12 June 2025 into a medical college hostel in the residential area of Meghani Nagar. The disaster claimed the lives of 241 people on board, including 169 Indian nationals and 52 British nationals, as well as 19 people on the ground. Of the 242 individuals on the aircraft, only one passenger, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, survived.

Preliminary findings released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) one month after the crash indicated that fuel supply to the jet’s engines was cut off moments before impact. This data, derived from cockpit recordings and flight tracking information showing the plane reached an altitude of 625 feet before descending, raised theories of pilot error. However, the initial 15-page report did not determine whether the fuel switches were turned off due to pilot action or a technical malfunction, nor did it issue safety recommendations to Boeing or engine maker GE Aerospace.

The Federation of Indian Pilots union, led by president Charanvir Randhawa, has formally requested that the AAIB not release an interim report. Randhawa argued that such a release would fuel speculation and misunderstanding, particularly regarding the "pilot suicide theory" that has emerged from early assessments. The union is urging investigators to obtain more technical data from Boeing and Air India to rebut these theories, noting that early US official assessments suggested the captain may have cut the fuel flow.

Complicating the investigation, the captain’s father has petitioned India’s top court to order an independent inquiry into causes other than deliberate pilot action. Meanwhile, technical work continues abroad, with engine testing conducted in the United States in April and investigators visiting France to analyse the engine management unit. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that a final report may be issued within three months, pending the conclusion of these engine studies.

Amidst the procedural delays, compensation issues have also drawn attention. Ramesh’s representative confirmed that Air India paid £21,500 ($28,800) to support Ramesh’s wife and five-year-old son. It remains unclear whether similar payments have been made to the families of other victims. The crash occurred during a sensitive period for Air India’s post-privatisation turnaround, which has faced challenges including supply-chain snags and airspace restrictions.