Investigators still haven’t ruled out the possibility of sabotage being behind the Air India crash in Ahmedabad earlier this month that killed 274 people, according to India’s aviation minister.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has confirmed that the aircraft’s flight recorders – known as black boxes – will not be sent outside the country for assessment and will be analysed by the agency, said Murlidhar Mohol, the minister of state for civil aviation.
The devastating Air India crash occurred at around 2pm local time on 12 June, when a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner plunged into accommodation for medical students at Ahmedabad’s BJ Medical College just moments after take-off.
It was the first crash of its kind involving a Boeing 787 anywhere in the world. All but one of the 242 passengers on board died in the crash and many in the building were also killed, killing a total 274 people.
Mr Mohol said a report would be released in three months amid criticism from safety experts over delays in analysing black box data and a lack of transparency in the investigation.
"It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investigation into it... It is being probed from all angles, including any possible sabotage,” he told Indian broadcaster NDTV.
“The CCTV footage are being reviewed and all angles are being assessed... several agencies are working on it," he said.
According to the ministry, data extraction from the aircraft’s black boxes began on 24 June under the supervision of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The crash-protected memory unit from the front recorder has been successfully retrieved, accessed, and its data downloaded.
Analysis of both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) is currently in progress, the ministry added.
Mr Mohol said the black box “will not go anywhere” for the investigation, dismissing reports that it would be flown out of the country for specialist analysis in the US.
“It is in AAIB's custody and there is no need to send it outside. We will do the entire investigation," he said.
The minister said it would be premature to comment on the cause of the crash but called it a “rare case”, saying it has never happened that both engines have failed together.
"Once the (probe) report comes, we will be able to ascertain if it was an engine problem or fuel supply issue or why both the engines had stopped functioning,” he said.
“There is a CVR (cockpit voice recorder) in the black box which has stored the conversation between the two pilots. It is too early to say anything but whatever it is, it will come out. The report will come in three months," he added.
It has been almost 20 days since the crash and pressure is mounting on India’s aviation authorities to release details into what caused the incident.
Under the international rules set by the UN aviation body ICAO, a preliminary report should be released within 30 days of the crash and the final report should come within 12 months.
Investigators are exploring several possible causes for the Air India Flight 171 crash, including dual engine failure due to fuel contamination, technical faults, or sabotage. Bird strikes have been ruled out.
Other theories under review include improper flap or landing gear configuration, maintenance errors, or inadvertent crew actions.
