Now, AI crash inquiry to focus on forensic analysis, flight data

With the preliminary investigation into last month’s Air India AI171 crash now public, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has outlined the next phases of its inquiry, focusing on forensic analysis, component testing, and detailed flight data examination.

According to the report, while drone mapping, wreckage recovery, and initial fuel quality tests have been completed, investigators are now entering a more evidence-driven phase.

Key components from the aircraft, including both engines, have been quarantined for further examination. Small residual fuel samples from the aircraft’s systems are yet to undergo specialised testing, given their limited quantity.

Investigators are also analysing cockpit voice and flight data from the forward Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR), which captured the final two hours of audio, including the moments leading up to the crash. Witness and surviving passenger statements have already been recorded.

The AAIB noted that post-mortem reports of both crew and passengers are being examined in conjunction with engineering assessments, to check for any medical or physiological factors that may have contributed to the incident.

At this stage, the AAIB has not issued any safety recommendations for Boeing 787-8 operators or GE GEnx-1B engine manufacturers. However, officials clarified that the investigation remains open and that more evidence is being gathered from various stakeholders.

According to officials,

the final report is expected only after a comprehensive review of all engineering, aeromedical, and operational aspects.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu stressed that the probe report carried only preliminary findings. “I don’t think we should jump to any conclusions over this,” he told reporters in Visakhapatnam and at the same time commended the probe team.