U.S., India Officials Spar Over 787 Crash Investigation

NTSB reportedly threatened to withdraw from the probe.

Zach Vasile

Monday, December 01, 2025 at 04:05 PM ET

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Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Air India Boeing 787-8 [Credit: Shutterstock/Soos Jozsef]

Key Takeaways:

The investigation into an Air India 787 crash has been strained by tense relations and significant disagreements between U.S. (NTSB, FAA) and Indian (AAIB) aviation officials.
Key points of contention included the location for examining flight recorders, the slow pace of data recovery, and the overall investigative process, leading the NTSB Chair to threaten withdrawal of U.S. support.
Differences in approach are attributed to cultural factors and national pride, with Indian authorities reportedly resisting perceived outside control.
U.S. and Indian experts also diverge on the crash's ultimate cause, with U.S. officials privately suspecting pilot suicide (due to fuel cutoff) while Indian authorities avoid this conclusion.

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Relations between American and Indian officials investigating the crash of an Air India 787 earlier this year have been tense, according to a new report, and there may be considerable daylight between the two sides over the cause of the disaster.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Indian authorities disagreed on where to examine the aircraft’s flight recorders and the process for examining evidence. The Americans were also frustrated by the alleged slow pace of data recovery efforts.