Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has confirmed that the preliminary investigation report into the crash of Flight AI171 did not identify any mechanical or maintenance faults with the aircraft or its engines.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its initial findings following the tragic June 12 crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which claimed 260 lives shortly after departing from Ahmedabad en route to London Gatwick.
Wilson noted that all required maintenance checks had been completed, the fuel was confirmed to be uncontaminated, and there were no irregularities during the take-off roll. Both pilots had cleared pre-flight breathalyser tests, and there were no medical concerns raised.
According to the report, the fuel cutoff switches for both engines were moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within a second, resulting in a sudden and complete loss of power. However, the report did not establish how or why this occurred, nor did it assign responsibility.
Urging patience, Wilson advised against drawing conclusions from the preliminary findings, stressing that the investigation remains in progress and no cause or recommendations have been formally identified. As a precautionary step, Air India has conducted inspections across its entire Boeing 787 fleet under regulatory supervision, with all aircraft cleared for service.