The Federation of Indian Pilots has asked the civil aviation ministry to consider its technical submissions before the AI 171 crash report is finalised. The request adds pressure for wider scrutiny and pilot representation at the probe’s final stage.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has written to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, asking the civil aviation ministry to ensure that its technical submissions on the AI 171 crash are formally considered before the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) finalises its report. The crash investigation is at an advanced stage.
In its letter on Friday, the pilots’ body also sought to be nominated as an “independent technical participant in the review of the draft AI171 final investigation report” if the government sets up an independent review process before the report is circulated or finalised.
FIP said it has now “reliably learnt that the government/ ministry has directed or is considering requiring the draft report to undergo examination by an independent committee before it is circulated/ finalised”. Against this backdrop, it said that if such an independent review mechanism is being constituted, it should be formally nominated and represented in that process as an independent technical stakeholder representing the professional pilot community.
There was no immediate comment from the civil aviation ministry or the AAIB on the FIP letter. According to the letter, FIP’s technical submissions should receive formal and documented consideration before the investigation report is finalised. Last week, FIP had asked the AAIB to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of electrical system evidence related to Boeing 787 planes as part of the AI 171 crash probe.
Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered as VT-ANB, was flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick when it crashed soon after take-off on June 12, 2025, during the initial climb. The accident killed 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground, taking the toll to 260. One passenger survived, while all 12 crew members died. Among the dead were citizens of India, the UK, Portugal and Canada.
