Air India Crash Investigation: NTSB Head Calls Reports "Premature and Speculative"

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) head, Jennifer Homendy, has called recent media coverage of the Air India crash "premature and speculative." The investigation into the crash, which killed 260 people, is ongoing and may take a year or more to complete. No mechanical or design faults have been found with the Boeing aircraft or its engines, but India's civil aviation regulator has ordered inspections of fuel switches as a precaution.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has cautioned against drawing premature conclusions regarding the cause of the deadly Air India crash. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy has labeled recent media reports as "premature and speculative," emphasizing that thorough investigations of such magnitude take time [1].

The crash of Air India Flight 171 on June 12, 2025, resulted in the loss of 260 lives. Investigators, led by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) with the assistance of the NTSB, are still piecing together evidence to determine the cause of the crash. The preliminary report by AAIB revealed that two fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved to a "cutoff" position immediately after takeoff, starving the engines of fuel. This move was reversed about 10 seconds later, but it was too late to prevent the crash [2].

The NTSB and AAIB are currently investigating whether the switches were moved deliberately or inadvertently, or if there was a failure in the plane's systems. No mechanical or design faults have been identified with the Boeing aircraft or its engines [2]. However, India's civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered inspections of fuel switches on all Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft operating in the country as a precautionary measure [3].

The DGCA has directed all airline operators to complete the inspection of the engine fuel switches by July 21, 2025. The order follows a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB No. NM-18-33) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018, warning about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature [3].

The investigation is expected to take a year or more to complete, and the NTSB will continue to support the ongoing probe by the AAIB. Meanwhile, investors and financial professionals should stay informed about the developments, as the aviation industry's safety measures and regulatory compliance can have significant implications for stock prices and market sentiment.

References:
[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-18/air-india-crash-reporting-is-premature-ntsb-s-homendy-says
[2] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indias-aviation-watchdog-orders-fuel-switch-checks-on-boeing-planes-covered-under-2018-us-advisory-by-july-21-2755624-2025-07-14
[3] https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-07-18/ntsb-chair-says-media-reports-on-air-india-crash-are-speculative-premature