Aviation Minister Urges Caution Over Preliminary Air India Crash Report, Praises AAIB's Efforts

New Delhi, July 12 — Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has urged the public and media to refrain from drawing premature conclusions based on the preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into last month’s fatal Air India crash.  the minister emphasized the importance of awaiting the final report for a comprehensive understanding of the incident.

The tragic crash occurred on June 12 when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, went down shortly after takeoff, striking a medical hostel complex. The accident claimed the lives of 141 people on board.

“Until the final report is released, it would be inappropriate to jump to conclusions,” Naidu stated, while commending the dedication and professionalism of India’s aviation workforce. “I truly believe we have the most capable workforce of pilots and crew anywhere in the world. They are the backbone of civil aviation.”

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released earlier this week, outlined a catastrophic mid-air failure, identifying a near-simultaneous shutdown of both engines as the aircraft reached takeoff speed. According to the report, the engines’ fuel cutoff switches were moved from RUN to CUTOFF positions within one second of each other, causing the fuel supply to be interrupted.

Cockpit voice recordings captured a brief exchange between the pilots during the emergency. One pilot is heard asking, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other responds, “I didn’t,” highlighting momentary confusion in the cockpit.

Following engine failure, the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) — an emergency power system — was automatically deployed. While Engine 1 showed partial recovery during restart attempts, Engine 2 failed to regain power. The aircraft remained airborne for just 32 seconds before crashing 0.9 nautical miles from the runway.

Minister Naidu commended the AAIB for its swift and transparent handling of the investigation.

“I appreciate the meticulous work done by the AAIB under extremely challenging circumstances. This is the first time a crash investigation of this scale has been conducted entirely within India. Securing the black boxes, retrieving data, and adhering to international protocols required a tremendous effort,” he said.

The report also noted that a prior FAA advisory had highlighted a potential issue with the fuel control switch locking mechanism. However, Air India had not acted upon the advisory, as compliance was not mandated at the time.

Naidu reiterated that any technical conclusions or policy implications should only be addressed once the final report is released.

“These are highly technical matters. The AAIB is continuing its work diligently, and the final report will offer a clearer picture of the factors involved,” he said.

The incident has reignited discussions around safety protocols, aircraft system design, and regulatory compliance across India’s rapidly growing aviation sector.