Air India Crash Investigation One Year On: Authorities Deliver Scant Details
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has stated that its investigation into the Air India crash, which claimed 260 lives, is ongoing, with the final report to be "released upon [its] completion." This announcement came on the first anniversary of the disaster, offering few specific details on progress.
The statement noted "significant progress" in examining aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine components, and maintenance records. However, no completion date for the investigation was provided.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on 12 June 2025, approximately 6km from Ahmedabad airport, shortly after take-off en route to London. The impact destroyed doctors' accommodation at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, killing 19 people on the ground and 241 on board. Among the deceased were 169 Indian nationals and 53 Britons. One survivor, Viswashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, was reported.
An initial preliminary report, published on 12 July last year, identified that fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the "cut-off" position mere seconds after take-off, leading to total engine power loss. Cockpit audio reportedly captured one pilot questioning the other's action, with a denial in response. Investigators did not specify which pilot made either statement.
Following the preliminary report, media speculation, citing unnamed sources, focused on Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the senior pilot, suggesting he may have cut the fuel flow. This prompted strong objections from Indian pilots' associations, who criticised the coverage and rejected the implication that the senior pilot caused the crash.
Captain Sabharwal's father, Pushkar Raj, now in his 90s, reiterated his determination to defend his son's reputation. He stated, "You see, every time an accident takes place, the pilot is blamed. Why? It's the simplest way to close the chapter. He is no more and cannot defend himself."
