The preliminary findings into the Air India AI 171 crash, which claimed 260 lives in Ahmedabad last month, may be made public within 30 days of the incident. The plane crash had taken place on June 12, which means, there is a possibility that the report may be made public by Saturday, July 12.
Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) briefed members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture about the ongoing probe during a recent meeting.
Both black boxes from the Boeing Dreamliner were recovered intact and are currently being decoded and analysed in collaboration with experts from the US-based National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The data is being synchronised with the aircraft’s final communication with Ahmedabad Air Traffic Control.
Wreckage Reconstruction and Black Box Decoding Underway
In a rare step, investigators have partially reconstructed the crashed aircraft at a secured site near Ahmedabad airport. This reconstruction aims to correlate physical damage with the digital data retrieved from the black boxes.
Specialised technical equipment from the NTSB has been handed over to the AAIB to aid the decoding process. The black boxes were transported from Ahmedabad to Delhi on separate aircraft with high-level security protocols in place.
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The meeting was also attended by top officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Airports Authority of India (AAI), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), AERA, and representatives from major airlines including Air India and IndiGo.
Members of the Parliamentary panel raised concerns about the non-implementation of previous safety recommendations and sought clarity on the causes behind the June 12 crash.
Crash Claims 260 Lives; Broader Air Safety Concerns Raised
Flight AI 171 crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel building in Ahmedabad seconds after take-off, resulting in the deaths of 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground.
The issue of air safety was also central to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting held a day earlier. Members questioned authorities on increasing safety incidents and urged audits by BCAS.
ALSO READ: 241 onboard flight, the rest on ground: Air India plane crash’s official death toll
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson defended the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, calling it one of the safest aircraft globally, with over 1,000 currently in operation.
Former Civil Aviation Minister and PAC member Praful Patel acknowledged public concerns but stressed, “Indian aviation is safe, and we don’t need to panic.” He also highlighted staffing issues within the DGCA and suggested the appointment of retired personnel to fill critical gaps.
