There does not seem to be any guidance on the likely time that the final report will be published, can any member help with an estimate from the Swiss authorities on this please?
OAP
Nope. The accident investigation branch will publish the final report when their findings are watertight, no schedule given. They repeated in the interim report that there was no indication of a mechanical failure or lack of fuel. What else, would George Clooney say, if not an act of a pagan God? Within a few weeks, there were three similar fatal accidents in the Swiss Alps in hot and high conditions. So obviously the tactics and decisions of the pilots will be questionned. Weight and balance will be important (with Pax moving in the cabin). But regarding the operational aspect, there are open questions about the operation, maintenance and oversight by the CAA too. Legally, this was a commercial operation (passengers paying a fee) , and even if the final report is not discussing legal matters, it will have a heavy impact on possible liability claims by surviving dependants. There is no reason to distrust the investigators, but they will have to be very careful in the wording of there findings. And the interim report created already quite an echo in the media and Swiss aviation circles, not only by what it said, but mainly what it did not.