The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has asked the Civil Aviation Ministry whether an independent committee will examine the draft final investigation report into the Air India AI-171 crash before it is finalised or made public.
In a letter dated September 25 to Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, the pilots’ body said it had learned that the government or ministry may be considering an independent review of the draft report prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The AAIB is currently at an advanced stage of preparing its final report into the June 12, 2025 crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people.
The FIP has asked the ministry to clarify whether an independent committee has already been formed or is being considered. It also sought details about the committee’s composition and terms of reference, including whether independent aviation professionals and representatives of the professional pilot community would be included.
The federation has also requested that its earlier technical submissions be considered before the draft report moves towards final consultation and publication.
According to the FIP, any independent review should include professional pilots because of the technical issues involved in understanding the accident. The organisation has previously raised questions about certain differences between the AAIB's preliminary report and findings from independent simulator evaluations.
One issue concerns the timing of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a small emergency power-generating device that deploys when the aircraft loses engine power. The preliminary report stated that the fuel-system interruption occurred at about 08:08:42 UTC and that the RAT began supplying hydraulic power roughly four seconds later.
The FIP has said simulator testing indicated that around 18 seconds were required after a fuel-system interruption for RAT-generated power to become available. The federation has also questioned differences in take-off performance timings between the preliminary report and simulator tests.
The government has not independently confirmed whether it has formally ordered an independent review of the draft report. Hindustan Times reported that its query to the authorities on whether the AAIB had been asked to submit the report to such a committee had not received a response.
The final AAIB report is expected to provide a detailed account of the circumstances surrounding the crash and may include recommendations aimed at improving aviation safety.
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