Fast probe required

Crash investigation should be quick and credible

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The tragic crash of Air India Flight 171 shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad has brought attention back to the airline, the regulators, and the broader state of civil aviation in India. Very little is known for certain about what caused the aircraft's failure to achieve the required thrust and the eventual crash into a medical hostel 2 km from the runway.

It would be wise to wait for the crash-investigation report rather than indulging in speculation. It is also important that this investigation be transparently conducted by the relevant authorities and its report released in a timely fashion.

The nodal agency for this investigation will be the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is a branch of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. India set up a separate investigation agency in 2012; the only major investigation it has conducted so far is the probe of Air India Express Flight 1344's crash while landing at Kozhikode Airport in 2020.