Air India AI-171 crash final report may be released soon, says Civil Aviation Minister

The final Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India AI-171 crash might be published “very soon”, said Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday (June 15), adding that the agency was against unnecessary haste as it wants to follow international investigation protocols in the probe strictly.

Protocol before speed

Speaking to reporters, Naidu further stated that the AAIB was taking “due time” as they have to follow international protocols and could not miss any step.

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"We are all waiting... AAIB doesn't want to unnecessarily speed up any process. They want to follow the protocol very strictly. This is an international protocol, so they can't miss any step...,” said Naidu.

"They have to focus on the investigation very thoroughly... So they are taking the due time. But because it is in the last leg, that is why they issued the statement. They might complete the investigation and present us with the final report very soon,” he added as quoted by ANI.

‘Substantial progress’

The Air India AI-171 crash, which took place shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12 last year, resulted in the deaths of 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members and 19 individuals on the ground.

The AAIB said on Friday that substantial progress had been made in examining crucial evidence related to the tragedy.

Year-long assessment

In an interim update on the investigation, AAIB said its team had spent the past year conducting a detailed assessment of all factors linked to the crash, covering technical, operational, organisational and human aspects.

Also Read: Exclusive | AI-171 crash triggered by fuel switches or engine failure?

AAIB said investigators had advanced their analysis of aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine components, maintenance records and operational documentation.

Evidence analysis advances

"Significant progress has been made in the examination and analysis of aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine-related components, maintenance and operational records, and other evidence relevant to the investigation," it said.

Also Read: Exclusive: AAIB silent on stabilizer motor failure on flight hours before Air India 171 crash

Reaffirming its commitment to an independent and evidence-based inquiry, the bureau said the final report would be released after completion of all investigative and international review processes. It also expressed condolences to the families affected by the accident.