Report on Air India crash submitted to authorities, but may not be disclosed

A preliminary report on the recent tragic Air India Flight 171 crash has been submitted to Indian authorities by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). However, currently, there is no requirement for the report to be made public. This preliminary report, based on initial findings, has been filed 30 days after the crash. It may not focus on determining the causes of the accident but could provide insights into the steps investigators are taking, key findings, the events leading up to the crash, and the available evidence. The report also includes details from video footage showing the aircraft's struggles after take-off, leading to the devastating crash that claimed 241 passengers and 19 individuals on the ground. While the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) advises that a preliminary report be released within a month of an accident, there is no current obligation for India's Civil Aviation Authority to disclose it publicly, as seen in a previous incident in 2020. Given the significance of this tragedy, involving numerous foreign nationals and garnering global attention, there is expected pressure for the report to be shared with the public. Captain Amit Singh of the Safety Matters Foundation emphasized that aviation accidents are often not isolated events but typically result from a series of overlooked warnings and system weaknesses. India's aviation sector, one of the world's fastest-growing, has seen considerable challenges in maintaining safety standards despite its significant contribution to the country's economy. With the recent crash of Flight 171 adding to these challenges, the incident has raised concerns about Air India's safety record, especially following its acquisition by the Tata Group in 2022.