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:

Relations between U.S. (NTSB, FAA) and Indian (AAIB) investigators of an Air India 787 crash have been tense, marked by significant disagreements over investigative procedures and evidence examination.
A major point of contention involved the location for examining flight recorders, with the NTSB chair threatening to withdraw support until India agreed to analyze them in New Delhi instead of a remote location.
Underlying the disputes are national pride, differing investigative paces (U.S. pushed for faster review), and frustration over alleged slow data recovery by Indian authorities.
The two nations also diverge on the crash's ultimate cause, with U.S. officials privately suggesting pilot suicide, while Indian authorities have avoided discussing pilot culpability for the fuel cutoff.

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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.