New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has accepted technical inputs submitted by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) in connection with its investigation into the June 2025 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, sources told NewsX.
In its response to FIP, the AAIB said the suggestions from the pilots’ body had been “carefully examined” and that the inputs furnished by it had been “duly considered”, sources said.
FIP had written to the AAIB on Monday, days after the Centre told the Supreme Court that the bureau was willing to accept and examine inputs from the pilots’ body.
However, FIP President Captain CS Randhawa, while acknowledging receiving a reply from AAIB on Wednesday, expressed caution. He said, “Yes, they say they have accepted the inputs. But will they actually consider it is the key question.”
FIP’s had written a letter to the investigating body following the July 28 hearing in the Supreme Court, during which Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court about the AAIB’s willingness to receive inputs from the pilots’ body.
Following the submission before the court, FIP formally furnished its suggestions to the investigating agency on Monday.
The AAIB has now responded to the communication, confirming that the suggestions have been examined.
FIP has previously raised questions over aspects of the AI-171 investigation, particularly the circumstances surrounding the movement of the aircraft’s engine fuel-control switches from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after take-off.
The AAIB’s preliminary report had established that both engine fuel-control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF within seconds of each other, resulting in the loss of thrust. However, the preliminary report did not conclusively establish why the switches moved.
The issue has since become central to the debate over whether the switch movement was the result of deliberate pilot action, inadvertent pilot input or a possible technical or mechanical problem.
FIP has argued that the professional and operational perspective of pilots should be adequately considered before the investigation reaches its final conclusions.
Earlier, the Centre had told the Supreme Court that the draft final report is expected in October.
AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed shortly after take-off on June 12, 2025, killing 260.
