SC Slams AAIB for Pinning AI-171 Crash on Pilots; Issues Notices to DGCA, Centre on Plea for Fair Probe
Bench questions preliminary findings, issues notices to DGCA and Centre over Ahmedabad crash investigation
New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Centre, seeking their response on a plea demanding an independent, fair and time-bound investigation into the June 12 Air India AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed all but one life onboard.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh criticized the “irresponsible” attribution of pilot error in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report, released on July 12. The court said the findings appeared to unfairly pin blame on the cockpit crew, while stressing the need for transparency and impartiality.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing NGO Safety Matters Foundation, argued that the probe panel lacked independence, as three of its members were drawn from the aviation regulator. He also highlighted that crucial evidence—including the full Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) output, Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts with timestamps, and Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR) data—was withheld.
The plea further alleged that the preliminary report ignored the testimony of the lone survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a UK-based businessman. It argued that selective disclosure of data violated the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, and citizens’ right to truthful information.
The AAIB report suggested that both engines lost thrust after fuel switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” shortly after takeoff, before being cycled back in a failed recovery attempt. While the report indicated manual input, media reports said the switches were found in the “RUN” position in the wreckage. A brief but unclear cockpit exchange added to the confusion.
Experts, including Federation of Indian Pilots president Captain CS Randhawa, pointed out that the switches require manual force and cannot move accidentally, suggesting possible alternate technical factors such as power supply interruption.
The bench expressed concern over the “unfortunate” selective release of the report while the investigation remains incomplete. It emphasized confidentiality until the final report is submitted but clarified that its notice focused solely on ensuring a free and fair probe.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation earlier urged the public not to draw premature conclusions. Sources indicated that the final AAIB report is likely to be submitted by the end of this year.
