Air India Flight AI171 (Boeing 787-8) Crash

We agree on that.
It's also important that a definitive probable cause be identified and that may well take quite a bit more than thirty days.
There is also a background chorus of interested parties trying to escape any culpability.
Well, yeah, full report will take 1-2yrs.
Will see how it pans out.
 
From the website The Aviation Herald:

On Jun 26th 2025 India's Civil Aviation Minister said, that the first black box was retrieved on Jun 13th 2025, the second on Jun 16th 2025. Both boxes were separately taken to Delhi with full security on Jun 24th 2025, the data have been successfully downloaded in the presence of AAIB and NTSB on Jun 25th 2025. The analysis of the data is underway.

India's AAIB have opened an investigation. The US NTSB and UK AAIB have dispatched teams to India to join the investigation.
 
From the website The Aviation Herald:

On Jun 26th 2025 India's Civil Aviation Minister said, that the first black box was retrieved on Jun 13th 2025, the second on Jun 16th 2025. Both boxes were separately taken to Delhi with full security on Jun 24th 2025, the data have been successfully downloaded in the presence of AAIB and NTSB on Jun 25th 2025. The analysis of the data is underway.

India's AAIB have opened an investigation. The US NTSB and UK AAIB have dispatched teams to India to join the investigation.
Why the 8 day delay? Why did they reject the ICAO observer?

smacks of a cover-up to save face.
 
Why the 8 day delay? Why did they reject the ICAO observer?

smacks of a cover-up to save face.
I dunno, downloading the CVR and FDR is probably a little more complicated than sticking a flash drive in your PC.
With US NTSB, Boeing and GE involved, I'd doubt that there is any likelihood of any coverup and the Indians probably see no need nor advantage in a supernumerary from ICAO getting in the way of the acutal investigators.
 
I dunno, downloading the CVR and FDR is probably a little more complicated than sticking a flash drive in your PC.
With US NTSB, Boeing and GE involved, I'd doubt that there is any likelihood of any coverup and the Indians probably see no need nor advantage in a supernumerary from ICAO getting in the way of the acutal investigators.
It’s sure taking a long time even with the NTSB, Boeing, GE and UK helping out.
 
Last edited:
I dunno, downloading the CVR and FDR is probably a little more complicated than sticking a flash drive in your PC.
With US NTSB, Boeing and GE involved, I'd doubt that there is any likelihood of any coverup and the Indians probably see no need nor advantage in a supernumerary from ICAO getting in the way of the acutal investigators.

GE is the maker of the flight data/voice recorders? I thought I heard it was Honeywell before, although that might have been for some other incident.
 
I missed this one until now.

Very rare to have a fuel filter clogged warning.


Incident: India B788 at Hong Kong on Jun 16th 2025, engine fuel filter problem

By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jun 17th 2025 17:09Z, last updated Tuesday, Jun 17th 2025 17:09Z​
An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-NAC performing flight AI-315 from Hong Kong (China) to Delhi (India), was climbing out of Hong Kong when the crew stopped the climb at FL220 advising ATC they needed to stay close to the airport and did not want to continue enroute, they would likely return to Hong Kong. After working the related checklists the crew told ATC, they had a fuel filter problem for the right hand engine (GEnx) and were ready for a return to Hong Kong. The aircraft landed safely on Hong Kong's runway 25R about 40 minutes later.

The flight was cancelled.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 30 hours, then returned to Delhi as flight AI-1315.​
 
I missed this one until now.

Very rare to have a fuel filter clogged warning.


Incident: India B788 at Hong Kong on Jun 16th 2025, engine fuel filter problem

By Simon Hradecky, created Tuesday, Jun 17th 2025 17:09Z, last updated Tuesday, Jun 17th 2025 17:09Z​
An Air India Boeing 787-8, registration VT-NAC performing flight AI-315 from Hong Kong (China) to Delhi (India), was climbing out of Hong Kong when the crew stopped the climb at FL220 advising ATC they needed to stay close to the airport and did not want to continue enroute, they would likely return to Hong Kong. After working the related checklists the crew told ATC, they had a fuel filter problem for the right hand engine (GEnx) and were ready for a return to Hong Kong. The aircraft landed safely on Hong Kong's runway 25R about 40 minutes later.

The flight was cancelled.

The aircraft remained on the ground for about 30 hours, then returned to Delhi as flight AI-1315.​
An indication of inadequate maintenance practices or just a random event?
 
...and, GE also made the FDR/CVR.

I was going by some of the articles I read. But there's a lot to sort out.

GE also supplied the black boxes—the flight-data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder—on the 787, reports said. Boeing and GE didn’t respond to requests for comment from Barron’s about the data recorders. That isn’t unusual. Companies are careful to let aviation authorities take the lead.​

https://www.geaerospace.com/systems/avionics#flight-data-and-cockpit-voice-recorders

kvadr.jpg


This probably isn't the same as I believe they had separate recorders and not one combined unit.

https://www.geaerospace.com/sites/default/files/enhanced-aircraft-flight-recorder-3254F.pdf

enhanced-aircraft-flight-recorder-3254F.pdf
 
An indication of inadequate maintenance practices or just a random event?
I am not sure to be honest. I can’t find any information indicating it actually caused engine problems or was just a false warning ( or was real but got back on the ground before engine problems ).

They only had it on one engine which suggests it wasn’t caused by fuel contamination ( according to information by Airbus and must be the same for all other makes ).

I just posted it because it’s very rare and because of some of the speculation the other B787 had fuel delivery problems.

Expanded information from Airbus:

ENG 1(2) FUEL FILTER CLOG

Triggering Conditions:
This alert triggers when the fuel filter is clogged.

Crew awareness.
Maintenance action is due. The fuel filter is bypassed and short term engine operation is not
affected. Dual fuel filter clog is likely an indication of Fuel contamination
 
Last edited:
I dunno, downloading the CVR and FDR is probably a little more complicated than sticking a flash drive in your PC.
With US NTSB, Boeing and GE involved, I'd doubt that there is any likelihood of any coverup and the Indians probably see no need nor advantage in a supernumerary from ICAO getting in the way of the acutal investigators.
The Thailand ATR72 crash and several others had all data extracted in 48 hours.
This is way too long for boxes that were immediately extracted and don't need any work in the US.
 
The Thailand ATR72 crash and several others had all data extracted in 48 hours.
This is way too long for boxes that were immediately extracted and don't need any work in the US.
That may or may not be a reasonable comparison.
Neither of us have any information as to why the data recorders were not downloaded more quickly.
We can only engage in what might be innocent or might be invidious speculation.
 
True, however, at this point, the investigative body should try to prevent any conspiracy theories by being transparent about steps, why, how etc.
Agreed, the Indians should be more forthcoming about the details of their investigation to date, particularly when we're looking at a widely followed and seemingly inexplicable disaster.
 
Until this accident I didn't either.

There aren’t a lot of details, but it looks like GE sells a lot of their combination units where they recommend two be installed for redundancy. I did look up what “MEL” means - minimum equipment list. Their sell sheet implies that an aircraft can still fly if one is inoperable/malfunctioning.
 
Back
Top Bottom