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Amid questions over the ongoing investigation’s transparency and credibility, why is the pilot’s father demanding a court-monitored inquiry into the Air India AI171 crash that claimed 260 lives? What are the concerns shaping this plea?
Pilot’s father moves Supreme Court seeking judicial inquiry.
New Delhi: The father of late Captain Sumeet Sabarwal has approached the Supreme Court, demanding a judicially monitored investigation into the Air India flight AI171 crash. The petition calls for all prior probes by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to be closed and transferred to a new inquiry panel led by a retired Supreme Court judge alongside independent aviation and technical experts.
This move comes amid mounting concerns over the credibility and transparency of the ongoing probe into the disaster that tragically killed 260 people, including 241 passengers, after the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
Filed jointly by Pushkaraj Sabarwal and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on October 10, the writ petition requests the constitution of a "Court Monitored Committee" or a "Court of Inquiry." The aim is to conduct a fair, unbiased, and technically thorough investigation into the accident.
The petition specifically urges that all previous investigations, including the AAIB’s preliminary report dated July 12, be treated as closed. It calls for the transfer of all relevant evidence, data, and records to the new committee to ensure a more transparent process.
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The petitioners allege that the AAIB’s probe has been compromised by a biased narrative that unfairly blames the pilots. They claim the bureau has overlooked critical design-level faults in the Boeing 787 aircraft and raised "implausible" scenarios about fuel supply issues.
Pushkaraj Sabarwal argues that fostering a narrative of pilot culpability threatens the integrity of the investigation and violates international standards under ICAO Annex 13, which governs aircraft accident investigations globally.
Pushkaraj Sabarwal, aged 91, had previously appealed to civil aviation authorities to invoke Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which allows the government to order a formal investigation when deemed necessary.
He has expressed deep distress over selective leaks to the media, which he believes have damaged his late son’s reputation by suggesting psychological instability or suicidal intent. In his letter dated August 29, Pushkaraj emphasized that these claims are baseless and harmful.
According to him, Captain Sumeet Sabarwal had no history of mental health issues and had flown over 100 flights without incident after personal tragedies, including the death of his mother over three years ago. With more than 15,600 flying hours and extensive experience on the Boeing 787-8, Captain Sabarwal was a highly skilled pilot and line training captain.
Air India flight AI171 crashed on June 12, 2025, after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight AI171, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered VT-ANB, crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad airport en route to London Gatwick. The disaster resulted in the deaths of all 260 people on board, marking one of India’s worst air accidents.
The AAIB’s preliminary investigation suggested a sudden fuel supply cutoff to both engines within a second, which led to confusion in the cockpit. The cockpit voice recorder captured exchanges where one pilot questioned the other about shutting off the fuel, while the other denied doing so.
Despite these findings, the AAIB stressed that the investigation was still ongoing and warned against jumping to conclusions until the final report, which will reveal the root causes of the crash.
The Supreme Court will now examine the plea for a judicial inquiry, weighing concerns about transparency, fairness, and technical accuracy in the ongoing investigation. The pilot’s family and the Federation of Indian Pilots seek closure through a probe that upholds the highest standards of impartiality and integrity.
