Air India crash: Prelim report to be out ‘very soon’, says Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Friday said that the preliminary report on the recent Air India crash is expected to be made public ‘very soon’, adding that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is actively working on it as per international norms.

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“The report will be out very soon. AAIB is working on it. It is their responsibility, so let them do their job,” Naidu told reporters. He added that the Civil Aviation Ministry is ensuring full transparency and accountability in the matter.

An Air India flight bound for London, carrying 242 passengers, crashed shortly after take-off in a residential area of Ahmedabad on June 12 killing all but one passenger on board while a dozen lost their lives on the ground.

The preliminary report is expected to offer the first official clues to what caused the aircraft to lose thrust just 30 seconds after taking off.

Naidu emphasized that the investigation is being conducted in line with international protocols and that all necessary procedures are being followed. The minister’s comments come amid growing public and media interest in the findings of the crash probe.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe, with assistance from multiple agencies. Investigators have retrieved both the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), which are being examined for more definitive clues.

Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol had earlier remarked that the incident was unprecedented.

“It is unprecedented for both engines to shut down simultaneously. Only after the full investigation report is available will we know whether this was due to a technical malfunction, a fuel supply issue, or something else entirely," Mohol had said recently in a programme.