New Delhi: All probable causes leading to the June 12, 2005, fatal Air India accident in Ahmedabad that killed more than 241 people onboard and several others on the ground are being investigated, and the final report will be published after the completion of the investigation, the government told the Parliament on Thursday.
The Air India flight AI171 crashed just seconds after taking off into a medical college hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board the plane and more people on the ground.
“The Investigation of the accident of Air India flight AI171 at Ahmedabad is being carried out by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as per Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025. The investigation is in progress,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, told the Lok Sabha.
A preliminary report on the accident has been published by the AAIB and is available on their website. The report contains factual information based on the evidence available at that point of time.
“All probable causes leading to the accident are being investigated. The final investigation report will be published after the completion of the investigation,” the minister said.
Regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has a systematic safety oversight mechanism in place for monitoring the compliance of Rules and Civil Aviation Requirements encompassing all the aircraft and the airport operators, he added.
The preliminary report released by the AAIB had stated that both engines lost thrust after the two fuel cut-off switches moved from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ position. However, the cockpit voice recorder has revealed that one of the pilots told the other that he did not turn off the fuel control switches. The fuel switches were then returned to the RUN position just before the plane crashed.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu had urged against reaching any conclusions until the final report is released.
(IANS)
