Air India's fatal crash report set to be released this week

Indian aviation accident authorities are set to release a preliminary report this week into the Air India Ltd. plane that crashed almost a month ago, a person familiar with the plan said.

The report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will provide reasons for the accident and is based on an examination of data extracted from the cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder, according to people familiar with the process, who asked not to be identified discussing confidential information.

Authorities are continuing their investigations and plan to release a final report within 12 months, the people said.

The timing is in line with International Civil Aviation Organization norms that typically see initial findings published within a month of an incident and a final report released within a year. There’s no guarantee the AAIB will release the preliminary report this week as authorities haven’t officially set a date, the people cautioned.

The report will offer the first official explanation for the crash of the Boeing Co. 787 Dreamliner in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad on June 12 — the first ever complete loss of that type of aircraft and the worst aviation accident in more than a decade. The catastrophy killed all but one of the 242 people on board, as well as dozens more on the ground. 

India’s AAIB, the aviation ministry and India’s press information bureau didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The incident occurred seconds after takeoff, with video footage showing the plane struggling to gain altitude and then sinking back to the ground, where it exploded. Bloomberg News has previously reported that investigators and the airline were studying possible dual engine failure as a scenario that prevented the jet from staying airborne. 

Indian investigators have been criticized for the slow flow of information that followed the crash, leading to the spread of misinformation. Besides offering clearer details on the incident, the Dreamliner’s popularity — there are more than 1,100 in service — means that the initial findings are set to be pored over by airlines worldwide.