New Delhi, July 21 -- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has expanded its panel by including veteran pilot and Air India's former director of operations Captain RS Sandhu as a domain expert in the ongoing probe into the Ahmedabad plane crash that killed 260 people last month, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The development to rope in Capt. Sandhu, a former B787 examiner, comes after several experts highlighted the need for a technical expert on the panel investigating the crash.

"Capt. Sandhu, who is the founder of aviation consultancy firm Aviazione, was approached by the AAIB chief to join the panel," an official aware of the development said, requesting anonymity. "Capt. Sandhu is also the person who to...