U.S. Investigators Accuse India of Blocking Access to Evidence in Deadly Air India Ahmedabad Crash

U.S. investigative agencies and former CIA officials have accused Indian authorities of refusing to provide full cooperation in the investigation of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people on June 12, 2025. The allegations have triggered renewed debate over transparency in India’s aviation investigation system.

According to U.S. journalist and former CIA officer Sarah Adams, preliminary findings of the American investigative team suggest that the incident may have been caused by possible pilot negligence. However, she stated that Indian officials are withholding full access to black-box data, which is essential for determining the exact cause of the disaster.

Adams said that if pilot error was indeed responsible, then refusing to share the black-box data “does not represent sovereignty, but instead raises serious security concerns.”

Claims of Human Interference

A report published by The Telegraph claims that American aerospace experts have found indications of possible human interference in the plane’s destruction. According to the report, black-box recordings showed that someone in the cockpit manually shut off the aircraft’s fuel-supply system shortly before the crash.

The report further alleges that the U.S. investigative team was prevented from photographing the crash debris, and that certain pieces of evidence were removed before American experts arrived. Indian authorities also reportedly denied access to the cockpit voice recorder and complete analysis of flight-data records.

Both The Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal have noted in their coverage that the crash may have been deliberately caused, citing the lack of transparency and restricted access provided to foreign investigators.

Concerns Over Indian Investigation System

U.S. agencies reportedly expressed concern over the credibility and transparency of India’s judicial and investigative processes. They argue that without full cooperation, determining the true cause of the crash will be impossible, and have called for greater international oversight.

The demands for a more transparent investigation are growing louder, as questions continue to mount over what really happened in the final moments of the ill-fated flight.