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 American and Indian officials investigating an Air India 787 crash have been tense due to disagreements over the investigation's process and the ultimate cause of the disaster.
Specific points of contention included the location for examining flight recorders, with the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issuing an ultimatum for a safer location, and the pace and method of evidence examination.
Underlying the procedural clashes are cultural differences and national pride, with the U.S. privately suspecting a pilot deliberately cut fuel to the engines, a position Indian authorities have avoided.

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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.