FIP urges formal consideration of its inputs in AI171 crash probe

FIP seeks formal consideration of its inputs in AI171 probe

NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the civil aviation ministry to ensure that its technical submissions on the Air India AI171 crash are formally considered before the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) finalises its probe report. The AAIB investigation into the June 12, 2025 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, is at an advanced stage. In a letter to civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu on Friday, FIP sought to be nominated as an “independent technical participant in the review of the draft AI171 final investigation report”. FIP said it had “reliably learnt that the government/ ministry has directed or is considering requiring the draft report to undergo examination by an independent committee before it is circulated/ finalised”. It said that if such a review mechanism is being constituted, the pilots' body should be formally nominated and represented as an independent technical stakeholder representing the professional pilot community. The federation also requested that its technical submissions receive formal and documented consideration before the final report is issued. The FIP had last week urged the AAIB to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of electrical-system evidence related to Boeing 787 aircraft as part of the AI171 investigation. The Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad for London Gatwick on June 12, 2025. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died, while 19 people on the ground were also killed. All 12 crew members died and one passenger survived.

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The aircraft, manufactured in 2013 and powered by GE engines, had flown 41,868 hours. Its Airworthiness Review Certificate was valid until May 23, 2026. In its latest update on the investigation, the AAIB said significant progress had been made and that the final report would be released after completion of all investigative activities and the required international review and consultation processes. The bureau has said the investigation team has examined technical, operational, organisational and human factors associated with the accident, without disclosing specific findings from the probe.

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