NEW DELHI— The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has submitted its preliminary report on the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI171 to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and other relevant authorities, government sources told NDTV. The report, based on early assessments and findings, is expected to be made public later this week.
The London-bound flight tragically crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, slamming into a medical college hostel. The disaster claimed the lives of 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. Remarkably, one passenger survived the crash.
Recovery teams retrieved the aircraft’s first set of black boxes—including the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)—on June 13. A second set was recovered on June 16. The aircraft model was equipped with dual black box systems.
A multi-disciplinary investigation team from the AAIB began its probe on the day of the crash. The investigation, ordered by the Director General of the AAIB, is being conducted in collaboration with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the aircraft’s original equipment manufacturers, in accordance with international ICAO protocols.
Sources indicate that investigators are examining whether a dual-engine failure may have contributed to the crash.
The investigation is led by senior AAIB officials and includes technical experts from the Indian Air Force, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), and the NTSB, representing the country where the aircraft was designed and built. The team also includes an aviation medicine specialist and an Air Traffic Control officer. U.S. officials have worked closely with Indian authorities at the AAIB’s laboratory in Delhi. Representatives from aircraft manufacturer Boeing and engine-maker GE have also taken part in the technical analysis.
In the past, India had to rely on facilities in countries such as the U.S., U.K., France, Italy, Canada, and Russia to decode black box data. However, with the recent establishment of a state-of-the-art AAIB lab in Delhi, India can now independently analyze data from both cockpit voice and flight data recorders. (Source: IANS)
