India’s Air Accident Investigation Body to Submit Preliminary Report on Air India Crash This Week

Nearly a month after the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, India’s top air accident investigation agency is set to submit its preliminary findings this week.

Sources told PTI that while the report hasn’t been finalized yet, the investigation is still ongoing. Officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) informed a parliamentary committee that the aircraft’s black box and cockpit voice recorder were recovered intact, and experts are currently analyzing the data.

The AAIB told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism, and Culture that although the initial report was due within 30 days of the June 12 crash, it has not yet been submitted.

This upcoming preliminary report will be the first official explanation of what caused the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to crash in Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board. The report will rely heavily on data retrieved from the flight’s voice and digital recorders, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information.

Meanwhile, members of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have expressed serious concerns about aviation safety following the crash. They also raised issues over the sharp rise in flight fares from Srinagar to other cities after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.

On Wednesday, a day-long meeting was held by a parliamentary committee focused on aviation safety, where officials from government agencies and private airlines were questioned about the safety standards they follow.