Air India CEO Confirms No Mechanical Faults in Dreamliner Crash; Urges Patience as Probe Continues

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has confirmed that the preliminary investigation into the deadly crash of Flight AI 171 found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or its engines. This conclusion comes from the initial report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), following the tragic incident that claimed 260 lives on June 12.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which was operating the Ahmedabad to London Gatwick route, crashed into a building shortly after takeoff. In an internal communication to Air India staff, Wilson stated that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed prior to the flight and that there were no fuel quality issues or abnormalities during the take-off roll.

Both pilots had cleared pre-flight breath analyser tests, and the report made no remarks on their medical condition, Wilson noted. The AAIB has not yet identified a cause or issued any recommendations, and Wilson cautioned against premature conclusions, stating that the investigation is still in its early stages.

In response to the tragedy, Air India conducted inspections of its entire Dreamliner fleet within days of the crash and reported that all aircraft were airworthy. The airline continues to perform routine and precautionary checks, Wilson assured.

“We continue to perform necessary checks on all planes, as we will any new ones that authorities may suggest,” Wilson said.

The AAIB’s preliminary 15-page report mentioned that fuel switches to the engines were cut off within one second of each other right after takeoff, creating confusion in the cockpit. However, the report did not specify who cut the switches or why.

Cockpit voice recordings revealed a puzzling exchange between the pilots. One asked, “Why did the switch go off?” The other replied, “I didn’t do it.”

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu also urged caution, stating that it was “immature” to draw conclusions at this point. He said the ministry is reviewing the report, but final judgments should wait until the conclusive findings are published.

“We have to wait for something concrete to emerge… I think it would be better if we comment on it once the final report comes in,” Naidu said.

The probe is being led by a five-member team from the AAIB and is expected to continue for several more months as investigators work to determine the exact cause of the crash.