Indian investigators probing last year's deadly Air India crash are preparing an interim report ahead of the first anniversary of the accident, news agency Reuters has reported.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down on June 12, 2025, shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad bound for London, killing 260 people, making it the deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
What Interim Report Will Cover
The interim report, to be released by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), will be more comprehensive than the 15-page preliminary report published in July 2025, according to the news agency. It will examine possible primary causes of the crash as well as other contributing factors.
1 May 2026
Get the latest issue of Outlook Business
The preliminary report had found that the Dreamliner's engine fuel switches flipped almost simultaneously shortly after takeoff, starving both engines of fuel.
A cockpit voice recording of dialogue between the two pilots supported the view that the captain had cut the fuel supply to the engines, an assessment first reported by Reuters, citing US officials. The AAIB, however, said at the time that it was "too early to reach any definite conclusions."
Why Interim Report and Not Final One
The final report will not be ready by the crash anniversary as the investigation remains complex and ongoing, the report further said. Under international aviation rules, a final accident report is due within a year of the incident. If that deadline cannot be met, an interim statement must be issued on each anniversary.
By releasing an interim report rather than a final one, Indian authorities will not be required to share findings in advance with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is participating in the investigation given that the Boeing 787 was designed and manufactured in the United States.
The NTSB would, however, be permitted to comment on the final report. Notably, the timing of the final report remains unclear.
The preparations for the interim report come alongside a separate inquiry into fuel switch concerns flagged on another Air India Dreamliner flight.
In February this year, pilots operating an Air India Boeing 787 on the London-Bengaluru route observed during engine start that the fuel switches did not remain fixed in the "run" position on the first two attempts when light vertical pressure was applied. The switches stabilised on a third attempt, and the pilots reported the incident upon landing in India.
Officials from India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), are planning to travel to Seattle in June to observe Boeing's testing of the switches, described as "sensitive" in confidential emails, Reuters reported last week.
Some investigators involved in the Air India crash probe were reportedly unaware of the DGCA's planned Seattle visit.
Boeing said it is "supporting" Air India in the matter. UK authorities, who are also examining the February incident, said their review is ongoing.
