FPJ Exclusive: Air India 171 Crash Final Report Unlikely By June 12 As UK AAIB Says Draft Yet To Be Shared

· Free Press Journal

Chennai: Even as Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu  said last month (May 20) that the investigation into the Air India 171 crash was in its “final stages” and a report was expected soon, fresh disclosures from the UK's accident investigation agency suggest India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is unlikely to release a final report by June 12, the first anniversary of the disaster. 

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A senior UK crash investigator has  said that the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has not received a draft copy of the report. The UK AAIB is one of the parties to the investigation, alongside the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB/TCCA participation) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), owing to the aircraft, engines, systems and nationalities involved.

On June 12, 2025, AI 171 crashed making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Indian history, killing 260 people. Families of the crash victims held a press conference last week in Ahmedabad asking for release of black box data from India's AAIB.

Under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 procedures, the state leading an accident investigation is expected to circulate a draft final report to accredited participants 30 days in advance before publication so they can review it and provide comments. While 30 days is the norm, the time period can be extended to 60 days if India's AAIB makes a request to other states. India's AAIB has neither shared a draft nor asked for an extension.

In an email to bereaved families dated May 27, 2026, UK AAIB principal inspector Geraint Hebert said he did not expect India's AAIB to share evidential material before publication of the final report.

"I do not anticipate AAIB India sharing any 'evidential material' ahead of publication of the final report," Hebert wrote. He also confirmed that he had recently sought an update from Indian investigators regarding publication timelines -- given the UK AAIB is a party after 52 British nationals died.

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"I recently asked AAIB India if there was an update on when the report might be published but they did not give a date," Hebert said. He further noted that if a final report cannot be published within 12 months, Annex 13 requires the investigating state to issue an interim statement outlining progress and any safety issues identified. "I have no knowledge of whether or when AAIB India intends to make such a statement, however," he added.

The disclosure has fuelled questions over whether the final report can realistically be published by June 12.

The absence of any indication that a draft has been circulated has led aviation experts to say that it's more likely an interim report will be released. "If they haven't shared a draft -- then it means an interim report; not a final one," says Mark D Martin, aviation safety consultant and pilot.

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ICAO Annex 13 states that if comments are received within 30-60 days of the transmittal letter, the investigating state (ie India) must either amend the draft report to include the substance of those comments or, if requested, append the comments to the final report. If no comments are received within 30-60 days, the investigating state shall issue the final report.

Sources in US NTSB and Europe's EASA said that they have also not received a draft copy of the report like the UK AAIB as of June 1, 2026. But officially they did not confirm the non-receipt. Neither has ICAO.

When asked about the process, NTSB spokesperson Peter Knudson said: "Per ICAO protocols, the AAIB will provide a draft copy of their report to the NTSB. The NTSB can then review it and may provide comments to the AAIB." However, when specifically asked whether the NTSB had received a draft report from India's AAIB, Knudson declined to answer. "I did not say the AAIB has or has not provided NTSB with a draft of the report. That is for AAIB to speak to," he said.

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