The final report on the Air India flight AI-171 crash, which killed 260 people when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, is expected within two months now that engine analysis from GE Aerospace has been received, according to a person familiar with the investigation, as reported by Business-Today.
Engine Analysis Delivered
GE Aerospace, the American manufacturer of the engines on the ill-fated Boeing 787, sent the powerplants to the United States for examination after the crash. “The engines were sent to the US for analysis by GE, and their reports are in. All inputs awaited have been received now. The AAIB will now analyse all factors, do the sequencing and the final report should be out in about two months,” said the person in the know, according to Business-Today.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has been waiting for this analysis to complete its investigation. The final report will be closely scrutinised globally and could be challenged in courts across multiple countries, the source added.
Controversy from Preliminary Report
AAIB’s first preliminary report, issued last July (2025), contained a contentious statement. It said: “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.” The report also noted that “engine 1 and engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after the other with a time gap of 01 sec(ond),” causing the aircraft to rapidly lose altitude. The AAIB had to defend itself after a furore over this preliminary report.
Expert Caution on Findings
Investigators and experts have urged caution, especially regarding any attribution of blame to the deceased pilots. “It will be lazy and easy to blame the dead pilot who can’t defend himself. The AAIB report has to have a very solid reason to say what it does in the final report. Whether they have the technical capacity for a probe of this dimension will be known soon,” said one experienced investigator, as cited by Business-Today.
Another expert with decades of air accident investigation experience warned: “What we know is that the engines had stopped owing to fuel supply cut. What we don’t know is why this happened. Air accident investigations have to eliminate all probabilities and zero in on what could have happened. What the final report should definitely not do is resort to obliquely blaming someone or something if the exact cause is not zeroed in on.”
Senior investigators anticipate the engine report will likely confirm that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the engines and that they stopped after being starved of fuel for a yet-unknown reason.
Investigation Timeline
| Event | Date | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| AI-171 crash | June 12, 2025 | Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashes in Ahmedabad; 260 dead |
| Preliminary AAIB report | July 2025 | Fuel cutoff switches found moved to CUTOFF; cockpit voice recording controversy |
| GE engine analysis received | June 2026 | Reports delivered to AAIB |
| Final AAIB report expected | ~August 2026 | AAIB to complete sequencing and issue final findings |
The final report will be a critical document for aviation safety, determining the probable cause of one of India’s deadliest air disasters.
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