New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has asked the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of electrical-system evidence related to Boeing 787 aircraft as part of the ongoing investigation into the Air India AI171 crash.
In a letter dated September 18, the pilots’ body said a detailed examination of the aircraft’s electrical and electronically controlled systems should form an important part of the investigation. FIP cited previously raised concerns about electrical-system reliability and the central role of electrical architecture in the Boeing 787’s design.
The development comes more than a year after Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025. The aircraft was bound for London Gatwick.
FIP seeks comprehensive electrical-system evaluation
The Federation of Indian Pilots has asked the AAIB to examine all available technical evidence concerning the Boeing 787’s electrical systems.
According to FIP, the aircraft’s advanced electrical architecture makes it important to scrutinise areas including electrical generation, power distribution, avionics integration, data-network performance, software functionality and overall system reliability.
The pilots’ body has also asked the investigation agency to consider technical information submitted by the Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), a US-based aviation safety organisation that has separately raised questions about the aircraft involved in the crash.
FIP has sought three broad steps: a comprehensive evaluation of Boeing 787 electrical-system evidence, consideration of technical data submitted by FAS and appropriate safety recommendations as part of the AI171 investigation.
The request does not establish that an electrical-system failure caused the crash. The cause of the accident remains a matter for the official investigation, and the AAIB has not released its final findings.
AI171 crash killed 260 people
Air India’s Boeing 787-8, registered as VT-ANB, crashed during the initial climb after taking off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
According to the details reported by NDTV Profit, 241 people on board were killed, including all 12 crew members. Nineteen people on the ground also died, taking the total number of fatalities to 260. One passenger survived.
The passengers included citizens of India, the United Kingdom, Portugal and Canada.
The aircraft had been manufactured in 2013 and was powered by GE engines. At the time of the crash, the aircraft had accumulated 41,868 flight hours, while its Airworthiness Review Certificate was valid until May 23, 2026.
The accident triggered a wide-ranging investigation involving technical, operational, organisational and human factors.
Foundation for Aviation Safety raises concerns
FIP’s latest request follows concerns raised by the Foundation for Aviation Safety regarding technical information linked to the aircraft involved in the crash.
FAS reportedly wrote to the AAIB last month and said it had received hundreds of official, non-public documents concerning VT-ANB through the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
The organisation claimed those documents contained information about what it described as chronic and systemic failures involving the aircraft’s electrical, electronic and flight-computer systems. FAS said the material could be relevant to determining factors that contributed to the AI171 accident.
These are claims made by FAS and have not been established as findings of the AAIB’s final investigation.
FIP’s letter has now asked the Indian accident investigation agency to consider the technical information submitted by the US-based organisation as part of its examination.
Why the Boeing 787’s electrical architecture is in focus
The Boeing 787 uses an advanced electrical architecture in which electrical systems play an extensive role in the aircraft’s operation.
FIP has therefore argued that the investigation should examine evidence covering several interconnected areas rather than focusing on an isolated component or system.
These areas include electrical generation and distribution, monitoring systems, avionics, flight-control systems, aircraft data networks, software and aircraft-management functions.
The pilots’ body has emphasised the need for the investigation to examine the available technical evidence comprehensively.
Such an examination would form part of the broader accident investigation, which also includes operational, organisational and human factors.
AAIB says investigation is progressing
The AAIB has previously said that significant progress has been made in the AI171 investigation.
In its interim statement, the agency said investigators had undertaken an extensive examination of the technical, operational, organisational and human factors associated with the accident. It also said the final report would be released after completion of the investigative activities, international review and consultation processes.
The AAIB has not publicly confirmed the specific technical claims made by FAS about the aircraft’s electrical, electronic or flight-computer systems.
This distinction is important as the investigation remains ongoing. Requests from FIP and claims from FAS represent areas of inquiry or information that investigators may examine; they are not, by themselves, findings establishing the cause of the crash.
FIP wants safety recommendations based on evidence
FIP has also called for appropriate safety recommendations to be issued based on the findings of the AI171 investigation.
The request comes amid wider scrutiny of the Boeing 787 fleet following the Ahmedabad crash. The pilots’ body has argued that evidence concerning the aircraft’s electrical systems should receive detailed attention because of the importance of electrical architecture to the 787’s design.
The question of whether any fleet-wide safety measures are necessary will ultimately depend on evidence and findings from the relevant aviation authorities.
Aviation accident investigations are designed to examine multiple possible contributing factors rather than automatically attributing an accident to a single component or action.
Investigation remains under way
The AI171 investigation is continuing more than a year after the Ahmedabad crash.
FIP’s latest intervention places additional focus on the Boeing 787’s electrical and electronically controlled systems and asks the AAIB to consider technical evidence provided by FAS.
At present, the AAIB has not released a final report establishing the cause of the accident. The agency has said its investigation covers technical, operational, organisational and human factors and that the final report will follow the completion of the required investigative, review and consultation processes.
The next stage will therefore depend on the evidence examined by investigators and the conclusions reached through the formal accident investigation process.