The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has informed the Supreme Court that it expects to complete its investigation into the Air India crash by October, with a draft final report likely to be ready by then. The investigation has been ongoing for over a year, following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner on June 12, 2025, which killed 260 people.
According to an affidavit filed by the AAIB Director General, the investigation is presently at the evidence collection, technical examination, and forensic examination stage. The Bureau has interviewed several witnesses, including Air India and Boeing 787 pilots, crew members, air traffic control personnel, and specialists in human factors and crew resource management. However, the Bureau acknowledged that media speculation and the narrative attributing blame to the pilots had made some witnesses restrictive and non-responsive during the investigation.
The AAIB has opposed the petitioners’ plea for a court-monitored or independent inquiry, contending that the investigation is being conducted in accordance with international standards and the applicable legal framework, leaving no scope for judicial oversight or a parallel probe. The Bureau has completed 49 of the 66 procedural steps prescribed for the investigation of a serious aircraft accident and has assured the court that every safeguard, including preservation of evidence and stakeholder consultation, is being scrupulously followed.
The draft report will first be shared with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the United States agency representing the State of Design and Manufacture, for its comments. The consultation process could take between 30 and 60 days, depending on the nature and complexity of the responses received. The Bureau has also clarified that the sole purpose of an aircraft accident investigation is to improve aviation safety and prevent future accidents, and not to apportion blame or determine civil or criminal liability.
The AAIB has vehemently opposed the petitioners’ demand for disclosure of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and airborne image recordings, stating that Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, places an absolute statutory prohibition on making such material public. The Bureau has further clarified that the identities of persons involved in the accident or incident cannot be disclosed in the final report.
Among those seeking an independent investigation is the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the pilots of the ill-fated flight, who has challenged the AAIB’s preliminary report, contending that it has fueled speculation of possible pilot error. Separately, the NGO Safety Matters Foundation has also sought the constitution of a formal inquiry committee to probe the accident.
The Supreme Court had earlier asked the Union government to place on record the procedural protocol governing the AAIB probe, observing that proceedings should not become a blame game. The court is expected to hear the matter again on July 17.
