The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to include professional pilots in any independent review of the draft final investigation report into the June 12, 2025, Air India AI171 crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu on September 25, the federation sought formal representation as an independent technical stakeholder, citing unresolved technical questions and discrepancies in simulator test results.
The request comes as the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) moves towards completing its investigation, with the final report expected by October 2026. The pilots’ body has stressed that its participation would not be intended to influence the findings but to ensure that technical concerns are independently examined before the report is finalised.
Pilots Seek Independent Review
The FIP has asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to clarify whether an independent committee has already been constituted or is being considered to examine the draft final report. In its letter, the federation requested details about the proposed committee’s composition, terms of reference and the inclusion of independent aviation professionals. It also sought confirmation on whether it would be invited to participate and how its earlier technical submissions would be considered.
The federation said it had learnt that the government or ministry had either directed or was considering an independent examination of the draft report before its circulation or finalisation. The request was copied to several institutions, including the AAIB, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, the Public Accounts Committee and the Prime Minister’s Office. FIP maintains that professional pilots should be included as technical stakeholders to help ensure that the findings are examined from an operational and aviation safety perspective.
Technical Questions Remain Unresolved
A key concern raised by the pilots’ body relates to the sequence of events recorded during the aircraft’s final moments, particularly the relationship between the interruption of fuel supply to the engines and the activation of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency system designed to provide power when the aircraft loses its primary electrical supply.
According to the technical concerns outlined by FIP, the preliminary investigation recorded a fuel-system interruption at 08:08:42 UTC, followed by RAT activation approximately four seconds later. The federation believes that this sequence, along with differences in simulator test results, requires further independent examination.
Simulator tests are used to recreate flight conditions and assess how aircraft systems and crew responses may have interacted during an incident. The federation has called for technical scrutiny of these findings, including the assumptions and methods used in the simulations.
FIP has also sought formal consideration of its earlier technical submissions and has argued that an independent review should examine any outstanding questions before the final report is completed. However, the technical issues raised by the federation do not, by themselves, establish the cause of the crash or indicate that any particular party was responsible.
The Civil Aviation Ministry had not publicly confirmed, as of September 26, whether an independent review committee had been constituted or whether FIP would be formally included in the process.
Background To The Crash
Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after taking off on June 12, 2025. Of the 242 people on board, 241 died, while 19 people on the ground were also killed, taking the total death toll to 260. One passenger survived the crash.
The AAIB, India’s aviation accident investigation authority, launched an investigation to establish the probable causes and contributing factors. Its preliminary report, released in July 2025, described how the aircraft’s fuel control switches moved from the ‘run’ position to ‘cut-off’ shortly after take-off, interrupting the engines’ fuel supply.
The report also referred to an exchange between the pilots in the cockpit, with one asking the other why the fuel had been cut off. The other pilot responded that he had not done so. The preliminary findings did not establish who moved the switches or assign responsibility for the crash.
The investigation has since examined flight data, cockpit recordings, technical evidence and operational factors. The AAIB has said that the investigation is being conducted under India’s aircraft accident investigation rules and the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Annex 13 framework.
In July 2026, the AAIB informed the Supreme Court that the investigation was in its final stages, with the report expected by October. The FIP’s latest request comes amid continued calls for a thorough and evidence-based examination of the tragedy, with the families of the victims and the wider public awaiting a definitive account of what happened.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The investigation into the Air India AI171 crash is not merely about determining what went wrong; it is also about ensuring that the families of the 260 victims receive a clear, credible and evidence-based account of the tragedy. Independent technical scrutiny, transparency and meaningful engagement with qualified aviation professionals can help strengthen public confidence in the findings.
At the same time, it is essential to avoid premature conclusions or assigning blame before the investigation is complete. Every technical concern deserves to be examined fairly, with the dignity of the victims and the safety of future passengers at the centre of the process. How can India ensure that aviation accident investigations remain transparent, independent and focused on preventing future tragedies?
