Ahmedabad Air India crash: Preliminary report to be made public later this week, confirms AAIB

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted the preliminary report on the Air India Flight AI‑171 crash to the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The document, compiled by a multidisciplinary team of Indian and international experts, will be made public later this week.

The crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, killed 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Only one passenger, seated in 11A, survived.

The flight, a Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner en route to London, crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff, slamming into a residential building near BJ Medical College.

The wreckage and flight path raised concerns about engine failure, electrical malfunction, or both. Investigators recovered the cockpit voice recorder on June 13 and the flight data recorder three days later. Both were decoded at the AAIB’s new facility in Delhi.

Sources familiar with the preliminary findings said the aircraft’s emergency power system, including the deployment of the ram-air turbine, was active prior to impact.

This suggests a possible dual engine failure or complete loss of electrical and hydraulic power. However, the report does not speculate on the exact cause. It outlines technical and factual observations only, as mandated by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines.

The AAIB’s submission meets the 30-day timeline required for preliminary disclosures after major accidents. The full investigation is expected to take several more months and will involve additional input from the US National Transportation Safety Board, Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The final report will examine contributing factors, including crew response, maintenance records, and aircraft systems.

The government has stated that the preliminary report’s public release is aimed at maintaining transparency and facilitating timely safety reviews.