India has declined an offer from the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to allow one of its investigators to join the ongoing probe into the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 274 people on June 12.
The decision, confirmed by two senior sources, comes as safety experts raise concerns over delays in analysing black box data and a perceived lack of transparency. Indian authorities have stated that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is following all international protocols and that data extraction from flight recorders is underway.
Rejection of External Oversight: India Asserts Investigative Independence
The ICAO, which typically joins crash investigations only when invited by the host country, made an unusual move by offering an investigator already present in India observer status in the probe. Indian officials, however, refused the request, asserting the independence and capability of the AAIB.
“The analysis of Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data is underway. These efforts aim to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify contributing factors to enhance aviation safety and prevent future occurrences,” said the civil aviation ministry in an official statement.
The black boxes, recovered from the crash site on June 13 and June 16, were sent to Delhi for analysis under high security, with data extraction beginning at the AAIB laboratory.
Background: A Tragic Crash and Growing Scrutiny
The crash, involving Air India Flight AI-171, occurred shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, plunging into accommodation for medical students at BJ Medical College. It is the deadliest aviation accident in a decade and the first crash anywhere involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
International aviation experts and the ICAO have highlighted the importance of external oversight in such high-profile cases to ensure adherence to global safety standards and to bolster public confidence.
However, India has maintained that its AAIB is following all ICAO protocols and that significant progress has been made in decoding crucial flight data. The civil aviation ministry has indicated that flight recorder data would be retrieved approximately two weeks after the incident.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we recognise the importance of transparency and accountability in aviation safety, especially following tragedies of this magnitude. While respecting India’s right to conduct its own investigation, we believe that openness to international cooperation can help reassure the public and the global community.
Upholding standards of kindness, empathy, and dialogue, we encourage authorities to share findings as soon as possible and to consider the benefits of collaborative oversight.
