Post by : Badri Ariffin

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has entered the final stage of its investigation into last year's Air India crash that claimed 260 lives shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. According to a court filing dated Tuesday, investigators have completed a transcript of the cockpit voice recorder and conducted a psychological autopsy as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The filing did not specify whose psychological autopsy was carried out and did not reveal any conclusions about the cause of the Boeing aircraft accident.

Key Analysis Still Underway

The AAIB stated that analysis of data recovered from an engine monitoring unit in late May is still pending. Investigators are also continuing their assessment of certain organisational factors related to the accident.

The bureau said the investigation is currently focused on analysing evidence collected across operational, technical, human-factors, and organisational areas before drawing final conclusions.

Investigators Interviewed Pilots, Crew and Technical Staff

As part of the investigation, the AAIB interviewed Air India Boeing 787 pilots, cabin crew members who had previously flown with the pilots involved in the crash, technical personnel responsible for preparing the aircraft, air traffic controllers, weather officials, and human-factors specialists.

The bureau also confirmed that investigators visited the homes of the flight crew's families during the early phase of the investigation.

Court Filing Follows Captain's Father's Lawsuit

The court filing was made after Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of the aircraft's captain, filed a lawsuit. He had objected to an AAIB home visit last year, saying investigators suggested that his son had cut the fuel supply to the aircraft's engines shortly after takeoff.

The AAIB also stated that media speculation and public narratives placing blame on the pilots had affected the investigation, making some witnesses more restrictive and less responsive during interviews.

Draft Final Report Expected Around October

According to the court filing, the remaining investigation work is expected to be completed within approximately six weeks, subject to pending external dependencies.

The AAIB plans to prepare a draft final report around October. The draft will then be shared with participating countries for review and comments before the report is finalised and officially published.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is among the agencies that will receive the draft report for review.

Earlier Assessment Remains Unconfirmed

Reuters previously reported that, according to an early assessment by US officials, cockpit voice recordings appeared to support the view that the captain had cut the fuel flow to the aircraft's engines.

However, the AAIB has consistently maintained that it is too early to reach any definite conclusions regarding the cause of the crash.

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