The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Thursday said its investigation into the crash of Air India’s flight AI 171 in June last year was still continuing and that it has not reached any final conclusions.
In a sharply-worded statement, AAIB said reports suggesting that its investigation into the accident had been finalised were “incorrect and speculative”.
“The investigation is still in progress. No final conclusions have been reached,” the bureau said in a clarification on Thursday. The statement comes a day after Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, citing sources in western aviation agencies, reported that Indian investigators were preparing to state in the final report that Air India Flight 171 crashed because one of the pilots turned off the aircraft’s fuel switches in an “almost certainly” intentional act.
Flight 171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed on June 12 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, killing 260 people — 241 of the 242 on board and 19 on the ground when the aircraft plummeted onto a medical student hostel 32 seconds after losing thrust from both engines.
AAIB’s preliminary report released in July last year noted that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after takeoff, resulting in loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the cutoff, the other denying responsibility, sparking global debate over pilot error versus mechanical failure.
AAIB’s Thursday statement underlined that this report only contained factual information available at the time.
“The Preliminary Report released earlier provided factual information available at that stage. The Final Investigation Report, containing conclusions and safety recommendations, will be published upon completion of the investigation in line with established international norms,” the statement said.
It added that AAIB conducted investigations strictly in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, and India’s obligations under ICAO Annex 13.
“Aircraft accident investigations are technical, evidence-based processes aimed at determining root causes and enhancing safety,” it said.
AAIB also called on media organisations to avoid premature speculation, stating that unverified reporting could cause unnecessary public anxiety and undermine the integrity of an ongoing professional investigation.
The bureau reiterated its commitment to transparency, procedural integrity and the highest standards of aviation safety.
Mark D. Martin, an aviation safety consultant and founder of Martin Consulting, said the bureau’s emphasis that the preliminary report released in July only reflected the information available “at that stage” was significant.
“In its working history, the AAIB has rarely issued such a strongly worded clarification,” Martin said, underlining that the reference to the initial report only containing facts available at the time highlighted that the investigation remains open-ended.
“It reinforces that conclusions will be drawn only after a complete examination of all material facts,” he said.
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