Air India crash report to miss one-year deadline as families and pilots demand transparency

A year after Air India Flight 171 crashed moments after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, the official investigation remains incomplete. Indian investigators are expected to issue only an interim statement on Friday's anniversary, delaying the final report by at least three months while engine components are examined in the United States.

The crash and its immediate aftermath

The Boeing 787-8, bound for London Gatwick, went down on 12 June 2025, just 32 seconds after takeoff. It smashed into a medical college, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground. The sole survivor, British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, walked away from the wreckage in scenes that stunned the world. His brother Ajay was among the dead.

“More than anything, people need honesty, transparency and answers. Nothing will ever change what happened, but families deserve clarity.”

The preliminary report and its critics

A 15-page preliminary report published a month after the disaster revealed that both engine fuel control switches moved almost simultaneously from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" shortly after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel. The report included a brief cockpit exchange in which one pilot asked the other why the fuel supply had been cut, a question the other denied. It did not, however, state whether the switches were moved by the pilots or due to a technical failure.

“I will be very honest; they are not transparent at all.”

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents more than 5,000 members, has raised the possibility of an electrical disturbance before takeoff that could have cut fuel to both engines without pilot intervention. The FIP noted the aircraft had experienced serious electrical problems since leaving the factory.

The captain's father takes legal action

Pushkaraj Sabharwal, the father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, has petitioned India's Supreme Court to order an independent investigation. He has described the preliminary report as "full of errors" and accused it of focusing on the two deceased pilots, who cannot defend themselves, without examining more probable technical or procedural causes.

The Diu connection

At least 15 passengers had ties to the island of Diu, a former Portuguese colony off India's western coast. Among the dead were seven Portuguese nationals from the island. With a population of only around 50,000 spread over 40 square kilometres, the disaster touched nearly every family in the tight-knit community. Ramesh himself traces his roots to Diu and made his first phone call after escaping the wreckage to relatives there.

“Unlike a big city, we belong to the same community. We grew up together. We meet together. We know each other's families.”

The investigation timeline

Investigators conducted engine testing in April and visited France last month as part of an analysis of the engine management unit. The engines have been sent to the US for examination. Under international rules, a final report is due within a year of an accident, but if it is not completed, an interim statement must be issued on each anniversary.

The survivor's ongoing struggle

Ramesh's representative said the survivor has received £21,500 from Air India as an interim payment to support his wife and five-year-old son. The family continues to face significant financial hardship, and Ramesh has repeatedly asked to meet the airline's chief executive, a meeting that has not yet taken place. His legal team described recent discussions with Air India executives and Tata Group representatives as constructive but noted important issues remain unresolved.