An Indian pilots association has called for further investigation into last year’s deadly Air India crash, arguing that a possible electrical malfunction should be examined before attributing the disaster to pilot action.
Read More: Pilot groups reject human error claims in Air India crash investigation
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents more than 5,000 members, submitted a letter to India’s aviation ministry suggesting that an electrical disturbance may have triggered the aircraft’s engine fuel shutdown shortly after takeoff.
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An Indian pilots’ body has demanded further investigation into last year’s deadly Air India crash, asserting that an electrical failure, not pilot error, could have caused the disaster that killed 260 people. pic.twitter.com/7fTfugVItK— KashmirMedia Service (@kmskashmirnews) May 5, 2026
The request comes ahead of the expected final report into the June 12, 2025 crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which killed 260 people after the aircraft crashed near Ahmedabad shortly after departure.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report one month after the crash, stating that fuel supply to both engines had been cut off moments before impact. The finding raised questions about whether pilot error may have played a role.
However, the pilots’ federation said the preliminary findings did not establish whether the fuel switch movement resulted from pilot action or a technical malfunction.
In its submission, the group proposed that a pre-takeoff electrical disturbance could have unintentionally triggered relay operations, leading to a dual engine fuel cutoff without pilot input.
The letter urged investigators to treat this as a credible technical hypothesis and conduct detailed electrical analysis before drawing conclusions. It also argued that international aviation standards require all plausible technical causes to be ruled out first.
The case has attracted significant attention due to the scale of the disaster and the aircraft type involved. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is widely used by airlines globally and is generally considered a technologically advanced long-haul aircraft.
The final crash investigation report is expected next month, in line with international timelines requiring completion within one year of the incident.
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The Air India crash remains one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years, and the final findings are expected to shape both accountability discussions and future aviation safety recommendations.