New Delhi, July 10: A viral message circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms claims to be the preliminary investigation report of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, allegedly released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The message, titled “Air India #AI 171 Crash: AAIB Preliminary Report”, states that the crash, which reportedly led to 247 fatalities, was caused by a critical cockpit incident during takeoff.

According to the report, the captain’s seat slid backward during rotation due to a mechanical failure in the seat locking mechanism. The sudden movement supposedly led to a reduction in engine thrust at a critical phase, causing the aircraft—a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANB) en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick—to crash within 38 seconds of takeoff into a residential area in Meghani Nagar. The message includes fabricated technical details, a cockpit voice recorder timeline, and maintenance data. Ahmedabad Plane Crash: AAIB Submits Preliminary Report on Air India Flight AI171 Crash to Ministry of Civil Aviation, Sources Say.

PIB Confirms AAIB Has Not Issued Any Report

The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit has confirmed that this message is completely fake. In an official post, PIB clarified that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not released any preliminary report regarding the alleged crash of Air India Flight AI-171. The message is fabricated and intended to mislead the public. Fact Check: Has the Government Commissioned a Nationwide Study on Sudden Deaths in India? Centre Debunks Fake News.

Viral Message Is Entirely Fabricated, Says PIB

PIB has advised citizens to rely only on official government and regulatory sources for any updates on aviation incidents. Sharing or forwarding unverified reports can cause unnecessary panic and may lead to legal consequences under misinformation laws.

No such accident has been officially reported, and the registration number, crash details, and statements attributed to investigators in the viral message are entirely fictional.

Fact check

Fake Preliminary Report on Air India Flight AI171 Crash Goes Viral on WhatsApp, PIB Fact Check Reveals the Truth
Claim :

A message circulating on WhatsApp and social media claims to be the preliminary investigation report of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash, allegedly released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). It states that the crash, which reportedly killed 247 people, was caused by the captain’s seat slipping during takeoff, leading to a sudden loss of engine thrust and a fatal stall.

Conclusion :

The viral message claiming to be a preliminary report on the Air India AI-171 crash is entirely false. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not released any such report, and the details presented in the message are fabricated. The PIB Fact Check unit has confirmed the message is fake and urged the public to rely only on official sources for accurate information.

Full of Trash
Clean

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2025 02:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).