ISLAMABAD: The United States (US) and India have entered a fresh phase of tension over control, access and security protocols surrounding the investigation into the June crash of Air India Flight 171, as their respective aviation agencies sharply diverge on where and how to analyze the aircraft’s flight recorders, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The dispute pits the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) against India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with both sides contesting the location for black-box analysis and the procedures for examining and sharing evidence.
Air India Flight 171, a scheduled service from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed 32 seconds after take-off, killing all but one of the 241 people on board. Indian authorities launched the official probe immediately, but disagreements over access to the aircraft’s recorded data have since stalled progress.
The Journal reported that the friction escalated in late June when Indian officials directed American specialists to travel on a late-night military flight to a remote laboratory in Korwa. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy blocked the plan, citing security concerns tied to terrorism and regional military conflict, and threatened to withdraw US cooperation unless the examination took place in either New Delhi or Washington.
India ultimately selected New Delhi.
American investigators also expressed frustration at the slow pace of data recovery, while Indian officials resisted what they viewed as excessive external control of the probe. According to the Journal, AAIB chief G.V.G. Yugandhar told US counterparts that India was fully capable of managing the investigation.
A preliminary Indian report issued in July found that the Boeing 787’s fuel-control switches had been moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF,” starving both engines of thrust. The findings did not explain why the switches were moved.
US government and aerospace officials privately believe the evidence points to deliberate pilot action, though no official conclusion has been reached.
Differences also emerged over methodology. Indian investigators reportedly conducted parts of the probe sequentially, while the NTSB pushed for a broader, faster review to determine whether any systemic issue with the 787 could threaten global flight safety.
With the investigation continuing under strained cooperation, the diverging approaches of Washington and New Delhi have raised fresh uncertainty over the eventual conclusions and the credibility of the final crash findings.
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