Aviation safety oversight faces scrutiny as multiple AAIB investigation reports remain absent from public records | Representational Image
Mumbai, Feb 19: A review of official records from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has revealed a critical lapse in transparency and procedural compliance, as nine aviation investigations initiated between 2023 and 2025 appear to be missing from the bureau’s public database.
The investigation body is also struggling to keep up with the pace, as it has been able to complete investigations in only 23% of the cases in the last three years.
Since its inception in 2012, India’s AAIB has been the nation’s primary watchdog for aviation safety, taking over aircraft accident investigations from the aviation regulator, Director General of Civil Aviation.
An audit of the bureau’s investigation records conducted by The Free Press Journal revealed that the AAIB has failed to file even the most basic documentation, including preliminary, interim or final reports, in nine cases in the last three years.
Non-compliance with ICAO timelines
Under International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, investigators are expected to release a preliminary report within 30 days and a final report within 12 months of the incident. However, the current status of the AAIB database shows a total absence of filings for nine cases occurring over the last three years.
In 2023, AAIB launched investigations in 15 cases, including 10 accidents and five serious incidents. However, three of the accident cases are missing from the records, as neither a preliminary report nor a final report has been published for them.
In 2024, the body initiated probes into 14 cases, including six accidents and eight serious incidents. The records also miss one accident and three incident cases from 2024.
Similarly, AAIB’s data claims that it probed 13 cases in 2025. Out of the five serious incident cases, the records do not display any preliminary or final report released for two cases.
Surprisingly, the aircraft accident reports submitted in 2025 exceed the number of cases investigated by AAIB. According to its statistical records, the body investigated eight accident cases but has submitted preliminary or interim reports for nine cases in that calendar year.
Backlog of final reports widens
According to aviation experts, the missing documentation hints that for these specific occurrences – ranging from technical failures to runway excursions – there is no publicly available factual record to guide airlines or maintenance organisations on immediate safety risks.
GPlus’s audit also highlighted a widening gap between the launch of an investigation and the publication of its final findings. In the last 14 years, AAIB has investigated 240 cases, including 112 air crash accidents and 128 serious incidents.
However, as of early 2026, AAIB’s records reveal a significant backlog in the completion of final reports, specifically in the last three years, raising concerns over the speed at which safety lessons are being integrated into the industry.
The investigation body probed 15 cases in 2023, 14 cases in 2024 and 13 cases in 2025. However, it is yet to submit final reports in seven cases of 2023, 12 cases of 2024 and 10 cases of 2025. AAIB has been able to complete investigations into only 23% of these cases.
Investigators are also expected to file an interim report after 12 months of the accident if the investigation has not concluded. AAIB has filed interim reports for only three cases, including one in 2024 and two in 2025, of the pending 32 cases.
The absence of findings in 32 of the 42 cases suggests that critical safety recommendations, which could prevent similar mishaps, are being delayed. Aviation experts warned that delays in filing reports, particularly preliminary ones, hinder the safety-first philosophy of accident investigation, as the primary purpose of these documents is not to assign blame but to identify systemic flaws.
Notable cases cited
The most notable and the oldest example remains that of a Learjet 45, registered as VT-DBL and operated by Delhi-based VSR Ventures, which crash-landed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in September 2023.
Another aircraft of the same model, operated by the same company, recently crashed at Baramati airfield, killing Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and four others.
The Free Press Journal contacted AAIB’s Director General GVG Yugandhar to know the reason behind the missing reports and the growing backlog of investigations, but did not receive any response.
The crash of AI-171 in June 2025, which killed 260 people shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, is the most recent example, as the preliminary report, which stated that the fuel control switches were moved from run to cutoff, has created a vacuum that has led to international friction, with various Western media houses blaming pilot action. The body is expected to submit the final report around the first anniversary of the crash, hopefully bringing an end to all the speculation.
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Key Figures
Establishment of AAIB – 2012
Total number of cases (Accidents/Serious incidents) investigated – 240
Cases investigated between 2023 and 2025 – 42
Investigations completed – 10
Preliminary reports submitted – 22
Interim reports submitted – 3
Missing reports – 9
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