What is the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau? Here's a look at some crucial cases AAIB investigated

As investigators sift through the smoldering wreckage of Air India Flight AI-171, the spotlight has turned to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the independent agency now leading one of the most complex aviation probes in the country’s history.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed just 60 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1:39 PM local time on June 12, 2025. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, plummeted into the Meghani Nagar residential area and a medical college hostel, killing all but one passenger and at least eight people on the ground. British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh, the sole survivor, described a sudden loud noise followed by a massive impact.

What is the AAIB?

Established to eliminate conflicts of interest, the AAIB operates independently under India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation. Before its creation, accident probes were handled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which also regulates airlines, a dual role that risked bias. The AAIB’s mandate is strictly safety-focused: To prevent, not to punish.

AAIB has some basic and key functions:

• Investigate all aircraft accidents and serious incidents in Indian airspace
• Collect evidence (black boxes, flight data, witness statements)
• Analyze causes and issue safety recommendations
• Publish final reports for global aviation authorities

AAIB's role in Ahmedabad till now

Within hours of the crash, AAIB teams secured the site and recovered the flight’s black boxes, the bright orange crash-resistant recorders housing the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR). These devices capture 25 hours of data, including pilot conversations, engine performance, and system warnings.

The investigation has already drawn global expertise, with the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch having dispatched four specialists in operations, engineering, and data analysis. The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing engineers also joined the probe, as the 787 was US-manufactured. Canada’s TSB also appointed an expert to monitor findings, according to its official press release.

AAIB’s past probes

The 2020 Kozhikode plane crash: The AAIB's analysis of black box data revealed pilot decisions and runway conditions contributing to a Boeing 737 overshoot that killed 21. This led to revised training and safety protocols.

What is the mandate for AAIB probes? 

The mandate for AAIB investigations, according to their website reads: 
 

• “All occurrences classified as Accidents are investigated by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and Investigations are ordered under Rule 11 of Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.”
• “Investigation into occurrences involving an aircraft of maximum mass over 2250 Kg or turbojet airplane, which are classified as Serious Incident are carried out by AAIB under Rule 11.”
• “Investigation into occurrences involving an aircraft of maximum mass of 2250 Kg or less, which are classified as Serious Incident or occurrences which are classified as Incidents are carried out by DGCA under Rule 13.”
• “AAIB may also conduct Investigations into occurrences involving an aircraft with maximum mass of 2250 Kg or less, which are classified as Serious Incident or occurrences which are classified as Incidents, if it feels that it is expedient to investigate the circumstances of such occurrence.”

Past AAIB investigations have driven India’s adoption of stricter maintenance checks, enhanced pilot training, and aircraft design modifications. For families awaiting answers and a global aviation industry reeling from Boeing’s latest crisis, the Bureau’s findings could redefine flight safety for generations.