High-level committee formed to investigate cause of Air India crash

India has set up a high-level multi-disciplinary committee, headed by the federal home secretary, to examine the causes that led to the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad.

Announcing the formation of the committee, the Civil Aviation Ministry late last night said that the panel is expected to submit its report within three months.

It said the committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations.

The panel "will focus on formulating Standard Operating Procedures for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future", the ministry said.

The committee will include representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Indian Air Force, and aviation experts. It will have access to all key records — including flight data, cockpit voice recordings, aircraft maintenance logs, ATC logs, and witness testimonies — and is expected to submit its report within three months.

Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operated by Tata-owned Air India, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on Thursday. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew members on board survived.

However, AFP, quoting an Indian police source, today said that 279 bodies had been recovered. The revised toll from a senior officer in the city, who requested anonymity in order to speak to the media, raises an earlier figure of 265.