Pilots’ body alleges gaps in AAIB’s Air India AI171 crash probe, cites undecoded Boeing 787 codes

The Federation of Indian Pilots on Friday accused India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau of serious gaps in its probe into last year’s Air India AI171 crash, saying the investigation lacked transparency and had not properly addressed key Boeing 787 data.

The criticism came on the first anniversary of the June 12, 2025 disaster, when Air India flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground. One passenger survived.

Pilots’ body presses its case

The pilots’ body said the aircraft had transmitted encrypted health-monitoring or ACARS messages before the crash and argued those codes were not decoded as part of the investigation. Federation of Indian Pilots president Captain C S Randhawa said the Boeing 787 sent at least 10 such codes and claimed only Boeing could decode them.

Randhawa questioned why the information had not been shared in a form investigators could fully use. The association said the omission pointed to technical shortcomings in the probe and renewed its call for a more searching review.

The FIP also said it had approached the Supreme Court seeking a judicial probe under AAIB rules. That move adds a legal dimension to the wider dispute over how the crash investigation is being handled.

AAIB defends the investigation

The AAIB issued an interim statement on the same day, saying the sole purpose of an accident investigation is to improve aviation safety and not to apportion blame or liability. It said its team had spent a year examining technical, operational, organizational and human factors.

The bureau said significant progress had been made in analyzing aircraft systems, flight-recorder data, engine-related components and maintenance records. Its statement was meant to push back on criticism that the probe has been too slow or too limited.

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu also said the investigation was continuing with diligence and professionalism under national and international procedures. His comments echoed the AAIB’s position that the probe remains active and methodical.

Families still waiting for answers

The anniversary has sharpened the frustration of victims’ families, who continue to seek clear answers about what caused the crash and when the final findings will be released. Anniversary reporting showed relatives still waiting for meaningful updates on the black box and the cause of the accident.

Air India and Tata Sons said they had disbursed nearly Rs 300 crore to affected families ahead of the first anniversary. The compensation has provided some material support, but it has not resolved the broader demand for closure.

What remains unresolved

The dispute now centers on whether the investigation has the technical depth and transparency needed for a disaster of this scale. The pilots’ body says critical data may have been overlooked; the AAIB says the probe is comprehensive and safety-focused.

The next developments to watch are whether the AAIB responds directly to the pilots’ allegations, whether Boeing or investigators clarify the data issue, and whether the Supreme Court takes up the petition for a judicial probe. A final crash report has not yet been published.