Air India crash: AAIB's preliminary report to be out ‘very soon’, says aviation minister Naidu

The Ahmedabad crash was the first fatal incident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, leading to the complete loss of the aircraft

Civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu on Friday said that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary investigation report on the deadly Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last month is expected to be out very soon. He asserted that the ministry is ensuring transparency and accountability in the investigation.

The incident occurred on June 12, when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off, resulting in the loss of 260 lives – 241 of them were onboard the flight. Only one passenger survived the tragic crash. The plane had crashed into a medical hostel complex, increasing the number of casualties.

"Very soon... AAIB is working on it... it is the responsibility of AAIB, let them do their job," Naidu said in response to a question over the timing of the preliminary probe report, according to a PTI report. The ministry is ensuring that transparency and accountability is there in the whole investigation process, the minister stated.

Under the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) norms, AAIB can submit a preliminary report within 30 days of the accident to it.

The Ahmedabad crash was the first fatal incident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, leading to the complete loss of the aircraft.

Earlier, ANI reported citing sources that senior officials of the AAIB told a parliamentary panel on Wednesday that the preliminary report on the plane crash in Ahmedabad is likely to be placed in the public domain in the next few days.

However, there was no official confirmation on the release of the probe report.

According to a report with The Wall Street Journal, the investigation into the crash is focusing on the actions of the jet’s pilots and doesn’t so far point to a problem with the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

On June 26, a status report of the crash was released by the ministry.