Air India crash investigation enters final phase, October draft report planned

India’s aircraft accident investigating body has prepared a cockpit voice recorder transcript, conducted a psychological autopsy and entered the final stage of its investigation into the 2025 Air India crash, according to a court filing.

The filing did not identify whose psychological autopsy was conducted or disclose any findings on the crash of the Boeing 787, which killed 260 people shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, India.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said analysis of data retrieved in late May from an engine monitoring unit was still awaited. It added that an assessment of certain organisational factors was also continuing, without providing further details.

According to the filing, investigators interviewed Air India Boeing 787 pilots, crew members who had previously flown with the pilots of the crashed aircraft, technical personnel involved in preparing the aircraft, air traffic controllers, weather officials and human-factors specialists.

The AAIB also said the families of the flight crew were approached at their residences during the early stages of the investigation. The filing is dated July 14.

One of the AAIB’s home visits in 2025 upset Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, the father of the captain, who said officials implied his son cut the fuel to the plane’s engines after take-off. He filed a lawsuit that led to the disclosures made by the AAIB in the court filing.

The AAIB said media speculation and narratives attributing blame to the pilots had caused some witnesses to become “restrictive and non-responsive”.

It added that the investigation had now entered the analysis phase, with findings and conclusions being drawn across operational, technical, human-factors and organisational areas.

The AAIB said it expected the remaining investigation activities to be completed within about six weeks, subject to pending “external dependencies”.

According to the filing, a draft final report is expected around October. It will then be circulated to relevant participating countries for comments before being finalised and published.

The US National Transportation Safety Board is among the parties expected to receive the draft report.

According to US officials’ early assessment reported by Reuters last year, the cockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots supported the view that the captain cut the flow of fuel to its engines.

The AAIB said at the time it was “too early to reach any definite conclusions”.

(With inputs from agencies)