‘Have faith in our agencies, not outsiders’: Union Minister rejects Italian report on Air India crash

Minister rejects ‘intentional’ act claim in Air India crash probe

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol has rejected a foreign media report claiming that investigators have concluded that pilot action caused last year’s Air India crash in Ahmedabad, stressing that the probe is still underway.

His remarks came after Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported that Indian investigators were preparing to state in their final findings that Air India Flight AI171 crashed because one of the pilots allegedly switched off the aircraft’s fuel controls in an act described as “almost certainly” intentional.

“I just want to inform you all that our investigation agencies are probing the matter. Should we have faith in our own agencies or outsiders? Our agencies are working on it," Mohol was quoted as saying by PTI on Saturday.

“Once the final report is finalised, then only it will be justifiable to comment on it," he added.

What the Italian report claimed

The report said the conclusion would be based on findings that no technical fault had been detected in the aircraft, suggesting the crash may have resulted from human action. It added that cockpit voice recordings, after being cleared of background noise, identified which pilot moved the fuel switch “from RUN to CUTOFF”.

The publication named pilot Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the crash, as being central to the matter, while noting it was still unclear whether the final report would directly assign blame. It also claimed that a conclusion pointing to the flight captain would mark a “desired turning point” for US experts involved in presenting evidence to Indian authorities. The report further stated that sound analysis ruled out the possibility of error.

AAIB says probe not complete

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) dismissed reports suggesting that the investigation had been finalised, calling them “incorrect and speculative”.

“The investigation is still in progress. No final conclusions have been reached,” the agency said.

Referring to its preliminary findings, the AAIB added that the final investigation report,  including conclusions and safety recommendations, will be released only after the probe is completed in accordance with international norms.

The crash

In one of India’s deadliest air disasters, 260 people, including 241 passengers, were killed when Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

Authorities have maintained that the investigation is ongoing and that any conclusions will be shared once the final report is formally issued.