The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is awaiting engine analysis by GE Aerospace, which has delayed the final investigation report into the Air India AI-171 crash, and the investigating body is now expected to issue an interim statement on the first anniversary of the disaster – fulfilling its obligations under international aviation conventions.
Engines recovered from the crashed Boeing 787 plane have been sent to GE Aerospace’s facilities in Ohio for a detailed examination, and a final report cannot be issued until the analysis is complete, three officials familiar with the matter told HT.
Officials said the engines — burned and damaged but largely intact — were dispatched “at some point,” without clarifying the exact timing. The Ministry of Civil Aviation did not respond to requests for comment on when the engines would be sent or when GE Aerospace was expected to respond.
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“The engines have been shipped for further examination and analysis, which may take some time as it requires specialized and detailed examination. The final investigation report cannot be issued before the examination is completed,” an official said.
After a year
It has been almost a year since the accident that killed 260 people, including 241 of the 242 on board. Investigators are still working to determine what caused the plane to go down 32 seconds after take-off, leaving some of the most important questions surrounding India’s deadliest air disaster in nearly three decades unanswered. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was flying Air India AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into the medical college buildings and burst into flames.
A second official said investigators have not yet received any indication from GE Aerospace about when the analysis will be completed. “Most of the work on the final report has been completed, but the engine inspection results are still awaited. At this stage, it is difficult to estimate when the report will be released,” the official said. A third official confirmed that the investigation was nearing completion, but the pending technical evaluation remained a crucial element in the final results.
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General Electric Aerospace declined to comment. “GE Aerospace declines to comment in accordance with the Appendix 13 rules governing active investigations and directs the reporter to the AAIB/NTSB,” a GE Aerospace spokesperson said.
Boeing, in response to a query from HT, said it would defer all comments to the AAIB. “The investigation is being led by the AAIB’s Indian office, and in accordance with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) protocol known as Annex 13, we will approach the AAIB to provide information about the investigation,” a company spokesperson said.
Under Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), countries are expected to issue a final report on the accident investigation within a year of the accident. Where this is not possible, investigating authorities must publish annual status updates on the progress of the investigation.
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Several reports said the AAIB would not get as far as a final analysis by Thursday, but none indicated a specific reason. On June 5, the Free Press Journal reported that AAIB UK’s principal inspector, Geraint Hibbert, wrote to the bereaved families on May 27 and said he had sought a timeline for publication from AAIB India but had not received any date. Hibbert, whose office is party to the investigation after 52 British citizens died in the accident, noted that Appendix 13 requires an interim statement if the final report cannot be published within 12 months.
Earlier, on May 26, Reuters also reported that the final report may take longer. The interim report will be “more comprehensive” than the initial report and will examine possible initial causes and other contributing factors, the agency said, citing unnamed sources.
Aurobindo Handa, former director general of the African International Bank, explained the delay, citing IATA data showing that only 57% of accidents between 2018 and 2023 have final investigation reports available to the public — a gap that, he said, “limits the industry’s ability to draw lessons from major safety events.” Regarding the specific bottleneck of component analysis, Handa said: “When it comes to component defect investigation analysis, it is a highly technical task that requires a specific test platform and necessary infrastructure, and the completion of the final investigation report is highly dependent on the OEM involved” – the original equipment manufacturer, in this case GE Aerospace.
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank released its preliminary report on July 12 last year. The 15-page document established that the two fuel control switches went from “on” to “off” shortly after takeoff, starving both engines of fuel, but stopped short of identifying a specific cause or explaining why the switches moved. The interim statement, expected soon, will provide details of the investigative work carried out so far and identify areas that remain under examination, the above-mentioned officials told HT.
The accident was the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the aircraft entered commercial service in 2011, and the model’s first structural loss globally. Following this, Air India announced a “temporary safety pause” and conducted additional inspections of its Dreamliner fleet. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation also ordered inspections of the airline’s Boeing 787 aircraft, and later confirmed that the aircraft and associated maintenance systems were compliant with current safety standards.
