More time needed for deadly Air India crash inquiry, officials say

A statement said "significant progress" had been made into investigating the crash which left 260 people dead a year ago. Air India crash investigation update reveals few details Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. The crash killed all but one person on board, and 19 more people on the ground People stand near debris at the site of a plane crash near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, western India, 12 June 2025. Air India flight AI171, bound for London carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed minutes after take-off in the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad. Air India plane with over 240 on board crashes after take-off in Ahmedabad - 12 Ju More time needed for deadly Air India crash inquiry, officials say The investigation into the Air India crash which left 260 people dead is ongoing, with the final report to be "released upon [its] completion", India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has said on the first anniversary of the disaster. The statement said "significant progress" had been made, in particular to "the examination and analysis of aircraft systems, flight recorder data, engine-related components, maintenance and operational records". But it did not give a date for the investigation's completion. The exact cause of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London on 12 June 2025 has been the subject of widespread speculation. The plane came down about 6km (3.7 miles) away from the airport, crashing into a building used as doctors' accommodation at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College and Civil Hospital, and causing an explosion. It left 19 people dead on the ground, as well as killing 241 on board. Of the passengers and crew killed, 169 were Indian nationals and 53 were Britons. One person survived - Viswashkumar Ramesh, from Leicester. Friday's update gives few extra details - instead simply saying the team "has undertaken an extensive and rigorous examination of all relevant technical, operational, organisational and human factors associated with the accident". "Every aspect of the accident will be examined with the utmost care and diligence," it adds. The statement, which extends its condolences to the "families and loved ones" of the deceased, also emphasises the fact the "sole purpose of an accident investigation is to enhance aviation safety through the identification of lessons and safety recommendations, and not to apportion blame or liability". Air India crash pilot's father vows to defend son's reputation A photo of an Indian man wearing a white shirt holding a framed photograph of his mother The unknown man in my mother's coffin: A year after Air India crash, families still waiting for answers Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane sits on the open ground The furious dispute over what caused Air India flight 171 to crash An initial preliminary report was published on 12 July last year, finding that just seconds after take-off, fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss. was published on 12 July last year, finding that just seconds after take-off, fuel-control switches abruptly moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines of fuel and triggering total power loss. Audio recordings from the cockpit captured one pilot asking the other why he had done it, with the other replying that he had not. Investigators did not identify which pilot made either statement. In the days after its release, attention turned to the pilots. The Wall Street Journal and Reuters news agency reported that new details in the investigation were shifting attention towards the senior pilot in the cockpit - Capt Sumeet Sabharwal. In the days after its release, attention turned to the pilots. reported that new details in the investigation were shifting attention towards the senior pilot in the cockpit - Capt Sumeet Sabharwal. "A cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight" that crashed last year supports the view that the "captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines", the Reuters report said, citing unnamed sources. The media reports prompted a strong backlash from pilots' associations in India, which criticised the coverage and rejected suggestions that the senior pilot had caused the crash, as well as the AAIB. This week, Capt Sabharwal's father told the BBC he was determined to keep protecting his son's reputation in the face of the allegations. Capt Sabharwal's father told the BBC he was determined to keep protecting his son's reputation "You see, every time an accident takes place, the pilot is blamed. Why? It's the simplest way to close the chapter. He is no more and cannot defend himself," Pushkar Raj, who is his 90s, said. Family members of victims visited the crash site, carrying portraits of the loved ones they lost last year. Patnala Suresh and his wife were looking forward to celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary this month. The US military had attacked the Palau-flagged tanker on Wednesday after accusing it of not complying with directions. The AAIB says the flight had 180 passengers and six crew members on board and was flying to Málaga. Hampshire villagers have raised funds for a bench in memory of Ketan Shah. Relatives urge Indian authorities for answers after receiving the misidentified, and in one case mixed, remains of their loved ones. The UK's competition regulator is investigating the airline over charges it imposes on parents to sit next to their child. The final conclusions of the investigation have yet to be published, although more could become apparent in the coming days.