Indian aviation authorities say they need more time to complete their final report into the Air India crash that killed 250 people near Ahmedabad a year ago, frustrating families hoping for clear answers on what went wrong. The update comes from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the first anniversary of the disaster.
In a statement quoted by Indian media, the AAIB said it had made “significant progress” in analysing technical and operational evidence but that work was still under way. Officials did not offer a firm date for publication, promising only that the final document would be released once all investigative steps and international consultations were complete.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad on a scheduled flight to London on 12 June 2025. The aircraft crashed into a residential building used to house doctors from Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, causing an explosion that killed 241 people on board and 19 on the ground. One passenger, Viswashkumar Ramesh from Leicester, survived.
A preliminary report published in July last year pointed to a sudden loss of power as a key factor. Investigators found that fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the “cut-off” position seconds after take-off, starving both engines of fuel. Cockpit audio recorded one pilot asking the other why the switches had been moved, with the second pilot insisting he had not done so. The interim findings did not assign responsibility and left open the question of whether the change was caused by human error, mechanical failure or some other factor.
The AAIB emphasised in its new statement that the sole purpose of the investigation is to improve aviation safety, not to apportion blame. The bureau said it was conducting a detailed review of aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine components, maintenance history and broader organisational and human factors.
Despite those assurances, speculation has grown about the role of the crew. Reports by international outlets, including Reuters and The Wall Street Journal, have cited unnamed sources who believe evidence points towards actions by the senior pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. Pilot unions and family members have pushed back strongly, arguing that focusing on one individual too early risks unfairly tarnishing reputations and distracting from systemic issues such as training, design or maintenance.
Sabharwal’s father, Pushkar Raj, was quoted by BBC News as saying he would continue to defend his son’s name and questioned why pilots are often blamed by default after air disasters. He argued that the dead cannot answer allegations and urged the authorities to base their conclusions purely on technical evidence and established investigative standards.
Safety experts say delays in final reports are common in complex crashes, especially when multiple countries, manufacturers and regulators are involved. However, they acknowledge that the lack of clarity is painful for grieving families, many of whom have called for more transparency about the investigation’s progress and any interim safety recommendations.
The AAIB’s eventual conclusions will be closely watched by airlines operating similar aircraft, by regulators and by the relatives of those who died. Any recommendations could affect cockpit procedures, aircraft design reviews or training requirements far beyond India, underscoring how a single tragedy can shape global aviation policy for years to come.
