Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu has called for restraint in drawing conclusions from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the June 12, 2025, Air India flight crash, which claimed numerous lives. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Naidu emphasized the need to await the final report before speculating on the cause.
“I don’t think we should jump to conclusions over this. Our pilots and crew are among the finest globally, forming the backbone of civil aviation. We prioritize their welfare and well-being. Let’s wait for the final report,” Naidu said, praising the workforce’s efforts. He added, “The preliminary report is out, but technicalities are involved. It’s premature to comment until we have concrete findings.”
The AAIB’s initial report suggested a possible fuel switch issue as a contributing factor to the crash of Air India flight 171, bound for London from Ahmedabad. The report detailed that both fuel cutoff switches for the aircraft’s engines transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF within a second of each other at 08:08:42 UTC, just after the plane reached a peak airspeed of 180 knots. This led to a rapid decrease in engine power, with cockpit voice recordings capturing confusion between the pilots, one questioning why the fuel was cut off and the other denying responsibility.
The crash, one of the deadliest in recent times, occurred seconds after takeoff, with the aircraft striking the residential quarters of BJ Medical College in Meghaninagar, Ahmedabad, and bursting into flames. Of the 242 passengers and crew onboard, only one survived. The accident also claimed the lives of nine students and their relatives on the ground.
Naidu stressed the ministry’s commitment to supporting victims’ families, stating, “Justice must be served, and we are assisting in every possible way.” He also commended the AAIB for conducting a transparent investigation, noting that the black box—comprising the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)—was secured and analyzed entirely in India, adhering to global norms. “This is the first time we’ve handled such a challenging task domestically, decoding the black box data here,” he said.
Last month, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol dismissed claims that the black box would be sent abroad, confirming that the AAIB would conduct the full investigation in India. The AAIB report also confirmed that fuel samples from the aircraft’s refueling sources were tested and found satisfactory by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation laboratory.
Last Updated on: Saturday, July 12, 2025 2:12 pm by Lok Ram | Published by: Lok Ram on Saturday, July 12, 2025 2:12 pm | News Categories: Travel, India
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