Air India Crash Investigation: AAIB Engages ‘Human Factor Specialists’
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has engaged “human factor specialists” along with other experts in the ongoing investigation into the AI-171 Ahmedabad crash, the government informed Parliament on Thursday.
This development holds significance as several reports in Western media have attributed the cause of the AI-171 crash to the senior pilot. However, both the AAIB and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have dismissed such claims, urging people not to draw premature conclusions. The government clarified that all possible aspects are being thoroughly investigated.
What the Government Stated
“B787 type-rated experienced pilots, type-rated engineers, aviation medicine specialists, human factor specialists, and flight recorder experts have been onboarded as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to support the investigation,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in Parliament.
He further stated that the preliminary report, published on the AAIB website in July, does not include any findings or conclusions.
Aircraft Defects
The government also told Parliament that a total of 2,094 investigations have been conducted into major defects or snags reported in various aircraft over the past five years, up to June 2025. These were all technical issues—514 in 2021, 528 in 2022, 448 in 2023, 421 in 2024, and 183 in 2025.
“All serious defects must be immediately reported by all operators to the DGCA. During DGCA audits, if it is found that defects were not reported by the airline, the DGCA initiates an inquiry and takes appropriate action according to the enforcement policy and procedures manual,” the government stated.
Additionally, the government reported that there have been a total of eight aviation accidents in the year 2025 involving one scheduled aircraft, three training aircraft, and four helicopters. These accidents resulted in the loss of 274 lives, it said.
