New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released a preliminary report on the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, one of the worst plane accidents in the country.
A nearly 12-year-old Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft (VT-ANB), en route to London Gatwick, crashed into the residential quarters of BJ Medical College soon after take-off, killing 260 people, including many on the ground.
There were 242 people on board, including 12 crew members, with only one survivor: 45-year-old British national Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, who was seated on a window seat near an emergency exit.
This is the first time Boeing’s best-selling 787 aircraft has suffered such a tragedy in Ahmedabad.
On June 13, the AAIB launched a probe and formed a multi-disciplinary team, while a high-level committee headed by the Union Home Secretary was set up to investigate the cause and recommend guidelines to prevent similar incidents.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on June 14 that all theories related to the crash would be analysed.
The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder were recovered from the accident site on June 13 and June 16, respectively, and transported to Delhi with full security on June 24.
Data extraction from the black boxes began the same day, and the crash protection module was safely accessed on June 25, allowing memory module data to be downloaded.
An expert from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is observing the ongoing investigation.
Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered further safety checks on Air India’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, while Air India also began enhanced checks on its Boeing 777 aircraft.
The airline has reduced 38 weekly services on international routes and cut services on 19 domestic routes, with some suspensions to continue until mid-July to stabilise its flight schedules.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the move was necessary to restore trust, manage additional aircraft testing, and navigate volatile international airspace.
Tata Sons, Air India’s parent company, announced compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each victim and survivors, along with an interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh.
The airline has also deployed psychologists to provide trauma counselling and support to affected families.
