The Supreme Court on Monday criticised certain aspects of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report on the June 12 Air India crash, calling them “irresponsible,” and issued notices to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a plea demanding an independent and transparent probe into the tragedy.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh noted that the July 12 preliminary report appeared to attribute the accident to pilot error, while important technical details were withheld. The court said it was mindful of confidentiality, privacy, and commercial sensitivity, but stressed the need for a “free, fair, independent and expeditious investigation.”
The petition was filed by the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, led by Captain Amit Singh (FRAeS). Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, argued that the presence of three DGCA officials on the probe panel posed a conflict of interest. He urged the court to order release of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) output, complete Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts with time stamps, and Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR) data—essential, he said, for a transparent assessment.
The plea contended that the preliminary report’s attribution of the crash to the “fuel cutoff switches” being moved from “run” to “cutoff” unfairly suggested pilot error, while leaving out crucial evidence. It further alleged that withholding such information violated citizens’ fundamental rights to life, equality, and access to truthful information.
The bench emphasised that while some data cannot be casually released—since rival airlines may exploit such material—transparency in investigation was indispensable. “We are only issuing notice on the limited aspect of ensuring a free, fair, independent and expeditious probe,” the judges observed, while batting for an early final report on the accident.
On June 12, 2025, Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick airport crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off. The disaster claimed 265 lives, including 241 passengers and crew.
Among the victims were 169 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. The sole survivor was Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national.
The court will now hear the matter after responses are filed by the Centre and the DGCA.
