Air accidents probe body expects AI-171 crash draft report ready by October
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has told the Supreme Court that the draft final report on the investigation into the Air India flight AI-171 crash
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has told the Supreme Court that the draft final report on the investigation into the Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people in June 2025, is expected to be ready in October 2026. In an affidavit, the agency said the probe is complex and is being carried out under an international framework. Read Full Story The affidavit was filed in response to a plea by Pushkaraj Sabharwal, the 91-year-old father of pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots, who have sought a court-monitored inquiry headed by a former Supreme Court judge. The top court had earlier told him that his son was not to be blamed for the accident and that he should not carry that burden on himself. The AAIB said a serious accident involving an international flight is not a matter of only domestic inquiry, but one governed by the Chicago Convention and Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation rules.
Annex 13 lays down the standard procedure for investigating an aircraft accident. The bureau said Article 26 requires the country where the accident happens to institute an inquiry, while Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025 provide for the participation of the State of Registry, State of Operator, State of Design and State of Manufacture through accredited representatives and technical participation. In its affidavit, the AAIB said, "Thus, the inquiry is not confined to an internal municipal exercise, but assumes the character of an internationally structured, treaty-governed investigation undertaken by the State of Occurrence in coordination with all concerned States having a legally recognised nexus to the aircraft, operator, design, or manufacture." It also said the purpose of an aircraft accident investigation is only to improve aviation safety and prevent future accidents, and not to fix blame or determine civil or criminal liability. On the timeline, the bureau said it had assessed the scale and complexity of the crash and added, "In all probability, the investigation activities...
subject to the resolution of the pending external dependencies set out therein, are anticipated to be completed within approximately six weeks. Thereafter, the draft final report, following completion of the analysis phase, is expected to be ready approximately in October 2026." The AAIB also said both international and domestic legal provisions require strict confidentiality for sensitive material gathered during the probe. These include witness statements, cockpit voice recorder recordings and transcripts, air traffic control communication, medical information and other protected records, it said, adding that disclosure could affect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and future aviation safety inquiries. The June 12 crash killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members and 19 people on the ground. The aircraft had taken off from Ahmedabad for London but crashed within minutes, hitting the BJ Medical College hostel less than a nautical mile from the end of the runway. According to the plea, the Emergency Locator Transmitter failed to activate, and both pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder died in the crash.
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