 "The London-bound Air India flight was carrying 242 people, including two pilots and 10 cabin crew members. Reuters/File Photo")
The first preliminary report of the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people will be made public this week after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) submitted its initial findings to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on July 8.
AAIB officials have also informed a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that it is retrieving parts of the plane’s wreckage to be sent to the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) so they can be checked for possible defects.
The interim report will not carry any conclusions and will only contain interim probe findings, as no report has yet been finalised, with investigations currently underway.
According to guidelines set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has up to 30 days from the date of an incident to release a preliminary report. AAIB Director General GVG Yugandhar stated that once the report is ready, it will be published on the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s website and made accessible to the public.
Evidence from preliminary investigations, including simulations by Air India, has suggested that engine failure or some other kind of aircraft malfunction likely caused the accident.
What has the AAIB told the committee?
According to a report by News18, the probing body has told the parliamentary committee that following the successful recovery of the black boxes, they were transported in two different aircraft to ensure the highest level of security.
The National Transportation Safety Board has transported the equipment required to analyse the data from the black boxes, it said, adding that every granule of decoded information is currently being matched with tech parameters and synced with communication with air traffic control (ATC).
Impact Shorts
More ShortsMeanwhile, sources said that assistance from international experts, including aircraft manufacturer Boeing, has been requested to conduct a detailed and comprehensive investigation. They added that the aircraft wreckage will be sent to the relevant original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to determine whether any component parts were defective.