Mystery Clouds Probe Into Boeing 787 Crash That Killed 260

The investigation into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that killed 260 people in June 2025 is not expected to be completed in the near future. Indian authorities are likely to postpone the release of the final investigation report because analysis of the aircraft’s engines is still ongoing. Engines manufactured by GE Aerospace are the main focus of the probe into the tragedy, which occurred moments after the aircraft took off from Ahmedabad on 12 June 2025. Investigators conducted engine testing last April and visited France last month to analyse the engine management unit, a source familiar with the investigation process told Reuters. A preliminary report released last year revealed that the fuel control switches on both engines moved from the ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position almost simultaneously. Consequently, the fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after the aircraft became airborne. According to a Bloomberg News report, the final accident report is expected to be completed around three months after the engine study is finished. The engine under scrutiny has reportedly been sent to the United States for further examination. Under international rules, a final air accident investigation report should ideally be published within one year of the incident. However, for complex cases, authorities may issue an interim report if the investigation is not complete by the first anniversary of the accident. Reuters previously reported that Indian officials were preparing an interim report ahead of the one-year anniversary because the investigation was considered complicated and required more time. To date, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the Ministry of Aviation, Air India, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and GE Aerospace have not provided official comments on the progress of the investigation. Amid the investigation, attention has also focused on the cockpit voice recording before the aircraft crashed. Based on an initial assessment by US officials previously reported by Reuters, the recording pointed towards the possibility that the captain cut the fuel flow to the engines. However, the AAIB insisted at the time that it was too early to draw definitive conclusions. The captain’s father subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court of India for an independent investigation that would also consider possible causes other than deliberate action by the pilot. Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Pilots sent a letter to India’s Civil Aviation Minister, the aviation regulator, and the prime minister’s office on 5 June. In the letter seen by Reuters, the organisation requested that an interim report not be released prematurely. The pilots’ group also urged investigators to obtain more technical data from Boeing and Air India to refute the pilot suicide theory that the AAIB is said to be exploring. The preliminary report did not issue safety recommendations to either Boeing or GE Aerospace, indicating that no signs of technical problems with the aircraft or engines were found at the early stage of the investigation. The Air India crash is the world’s first fatal accident involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner since the wide-body aircraft began commercial operations in 2011.