India Forms High-Level Panel to Probe Ahmedabad Air India Crash

The Indian government has set up a high-level committee to investigate the Air India crash near Ahmedabad that killed 270 people. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu announced the formation of the 11-member panel, led by the Union Home Secretary, during a press briefing here on Saturday.

Image Source: Aviation Minister on X

Naidu said the committee will include senior officials from the Civil Aviation and Home Ministries, Gujarat government, State Disaster Response Authority, Ahmedabad police, Indian Air Force, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Intelligence Bureau, and Directorate of Forensic Sciences Services. Members will be of Joint Secretary rank or above.

The committee has been given three months to conduct a comprehensive investigation, consult stakeholders, and bring in additional experts if required. 

“We want this investigation to be holistic, transparent, and timely,” Naidu stated.

Naidu also confirmed that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), mobilized within hours of the crash, is conducting its technical probe. 

The AAIB recovered the aircraft’s black box, which is expected to provide key insights into the crash. Meanwhile, the DGCA issued directives for additional maintenance checks on Air India’s Boeing 787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines as a preventive measure.

The Air India Boeing 787, bound for London with 242 people onboard, crashed minutes after takeoff on Thursday in the densely populated Meghani Nagar area near Ahmedabad airport. One passenger survived the crash.