'AI-171 crash report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with engines': Air India CEO

Air India CEO and MD Campbell Wilson on Monday said AAIB's preliminary report on the Ahmedabad plane crash last month found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed.

"There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," he said in a message to Air India staff.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Saturday released its preliminary report on the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane that killed 260 people on June 12. The aircraft, which was operating the flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a building soon after takeoff.

Emphasising that the preliminary report identified no cause nor made any recommendations, Wilson urged everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over.

"We will continue to co-operate with the investigators to ensure they have everything they need to conduct a thorough and comprehensive enquiry," he said.

Further, Wilson said out of an abundance of caution and under the oversight of regulator DGCA, every Boeing 787 aircraft operating in our fleet was checked within days of the accident and all were found fit for service.

"We continue to perform all necessary checks, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest," he added.