A high-level multi-disciplinary committee set up by the Centre to investigate the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad is expected to submit its final report within the next three months, according to Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol.
The probe comes after a catastrophic crash on June 12, when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London crashed moments after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, hitting the premises of a nearby medical college. The crash claimed 270 lives, including 241 passengers and crew on board and 29 people on the ground, leaving only one survivor.
Minister Mohol confirmed that the black box, which contains both the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder, has been recovered and is currently being analyzed. Authorities believe it will be key to understanding the sequence of events that led to the accident.
The central committee, chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, is tasked with identifying the root cause of the crash. The panel is examining multiple possibilities such as mechanical failure, pilot error, regulatory lapses, or external impacts like bird strikes. It is also reviewing standard operating procedures to prevent similar disasters in the future.
While this committee is conducting a comprehensive policy and operational review, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is separately handling the technical investigation. Both bodies are working in coordination, but with different mandates.
So far, safety inspections have been conducted on 12 out of Air India’s 34 Dreamliner aircraft, with no faults reported. Inspections on the remaining aircraft are underway.
Meanwhile, hospital authorities in Ahmedabad have collected 270 DNA samples for victim identification, and 70–80 bodies have already been handed over to families. The scale of the crash has made the identification process particularly complex.
International cooperation is also in play. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), responsible for probing civil aviation incidents involving American-made aircraft, has launched a parallel investigation under international aviation protocols. The NTSB team has arrived at the crash site and is coordinating with Indian counterparts to assess potential manufacturing or design-related issues in the Boeing 787.
