The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to release a status update on Friday on its investigation into the crash of Air India flight 171, nearly a year after the accident.
However, the document will not establish what brought the aircraft down, with the examination of its engines still underway.
The update will set out the work completed so far and the areas still under examination, but it might stop short of settling the question that lies at the heart of the issue: whether the fuel to both engines was cut by human hand or by a fault in the aircraft.
Families of the dead have had little choice but to fix on one theory or the other, with some seeking a judicial probe into the crash.
The investigation remains open, and officials have said the report cannot be issued until the examination of the engines by GE Aerospace is complete.
Air India has offered compensation to the families, but signing the form releases not only the airline but also other parties from liability, and binds the family to indemnify them against any future claim.
The site of the crash still carries the marks, with the four Atulyam hostel buildings standing vacant and dark, their walls soot-blackened and cracked.
The Gujarat government plans to demolish the buildings and rebuild the complex at a cost of ₹103 crore, ₹53 crore of it from the Tata Group.
