Air India crash: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal's 91-year-old father approaches SC
What's the story
The 91-year-old father of Air India pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal has approached the Supreme Court seeking a judicially monitored probe into the Air India flight AI-171 crash. The tragedy took place on June 12 when a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 229 of the 230 people on board. The crash also killed 19 people on the ground in Ahmedabad, bringing the total fatalities to 260.
Flawed probe
Preliminary report 'profoundly flawed,' mainly targets pilots
The petitioners, Pushkaraj Sabharwal and the Federation of Indian Pilots, have slammed the preliminary investigation report by the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Board (AAIB), which suggested that human error had led to the crash. They claim it is "profoundly flawed" and mainly targets pilots who can't defend themselves. "The petitioners emphasize that factual misdirection through selective disclosure, especially against crew who cannot defend themselves, impedes root cause discovery and threatens future flight safety-calling for a neutral judicial lens," it added.
Team scrutiny
Petition questions investigation team composition
The petition also questions the composition of the five-member investigation team, alleging it violates natural justice principles by including officers from DGCA and State aviation authorities. "The team is dominated by officers from DGCA...whose procedures, oversight, and possible lapses are directly implicated in the investigation. Moreover, the officers are placed under the control of the DG, AAIB, thereby creating a situation where the very entities responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation are effectively investigating themselves," the petition said.
Expert involvement
Petitioners demand aviation expert committee led by retired SC judge
It further calls for a judicially monitored, expert-driven probe independent of regulatory authorities to ensure transparency and accountability. The petitioners demand that an independent committee of aviation experts, headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, conduct the investigation. It adds that Captain Sabharwal had an "unblemished career" with over 30 years of incident-free flying experience. The petitioners argue that a neutral judicial lens is required to discover the root cause and ensure future flight safety.
Court scrutiny
Supreme Court expresses concern over AAIB preliminary report
The Supreme Court had earlier expressed concerns over the AAIB's preliminary report, calling parts of it "irresponsible." Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notices to the Centre and DGCA on a plea for an independent investigation. The court had also described the "pilot error" narrative as "unfortunate" while hearing a similar petition from an aviation safety NGO. The latest plea is yet to be listed for hearing.