New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted its preliminary report on the Air India 171 plane crash to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other concerned authorities. The report, based on the bureau’s early observations, was shared with the Centre earlier this week, according to senior government officials quoted by ANI.
The contents of the report have not been made public yet, but officials have confirmed it will be released later this week. The findings are expected to offer important insights into the cause of the crash.
On June 12, Air India flight AI-171, heading from Ahmedabad to London, crashed just 32 seconds after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport. The tragedy claimed the lives of 241 people, including 10 cabin crew and two pilots. Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims. Only one passenger, seated in 11A, survived.
A week after the incident, three Air India training pilots tried to recreate possible scenarios in Mumbai using the Boeing 787 flight simulator. They explored electrical failures that could have caused both engines to fail during the climb. However, they were unable to recreate the exact conditions.
The team also matched the AI-171’s original trim sheet data, a document used to determine safe aircraft weight and balance.
Investigators are examining black box data, particularly the position of the fuel switches. They are checking if wreckage from the switches can confirm whether the engines were shut off by mistake during take-off.
A key focus is on the possibility of dual-engine failure. Air India’s Boeing 787 pilots are not trained to manage such a failure at altitudes below 400 feet, which was the likely height at the time of the crash.
