AAIB rejects Italian report blaming pilot for Ahmedabad Air India crash: 'Incorrect and speculative'

The agency noted that the preliminary report released earlier provided factual information available at that stage

• AAIB says Air India AI-171 crash probe is still ongoing
• No final conclusions reached; media reports called speculative
• Final report will be published after investigation completion

Did our AI summary help?

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday clarified that the investigation into the Air India AI-171 plane crash last year is still in progress, with no conclusion reached yet.

It said media reports suggesting that the probe into the Air India Flight AI-171 accident has been finalised are “incorrect and speculative”.

In one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters, 260 people -- including 241 passengers -- were killed when Air India’s Boeing 787-8, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

"The investigation is still in progress. No final conclusions have been reached," AAIB said in a statement. It added that aircraft accident investigations are technical, evidence-based processes aimed at determining root causes and enhancing safety.

Further, the agency noted that the preliminary report released earlier provided factual information available at that stage. "The final investigation report, containing conclusions and safety recommendations, will be published upon completion of the investigation in line with established international norms," it said.

Furthermore, the AAIB urged media organisations to exercise restraint and avoid premature speculation. "Unverified reporting causes unnecessary public anxiety and undermines the integrity of an ongoing professional investigation."

"AAIB remains fully committed to transparency, procedural integrity and the highest standards of aviation safety," the statement said.

Earlier, Italian daily Corriere della Sera had reported, citing unnamed sources, that investigators probing the crash had concluded that the crash was not caused by a technical defect but was the result of an "intentional act",

The report further stated that US experts assisting in the probe described the findings as a “breakthrough.”

In its preliminary report on the crash that was released on July 12 last year, AAIB said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it had said.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court asked the Centre to file a brief report on the "procedural protocol" followed so far, after it was informed that the AAIB's investigation into the plane crash is at its fag end.