Supreme Court calls Air India crash preliminary report ‘irresponsible,’ Seeks DGCA response

The preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on July 12 indicated lapses on the part of the pilots, which the Supreme Court termed as irresponsible.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has termed certain aspects of the preliminary investigation report into the Air India plane crash that occurred on 12 June as "irresponsible." A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh made this remark while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL). The court issued notices to the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Central Government to respond to the matter.

Supreme Court's Comments on Aspects Of Investigation Report

The preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on July 12 indicated lapses on the part of the pilots, which the Supreme Court termed as irresponsible. The court stated that the investigation should be impartial, independent, and expeditious. The bench stated that it was issuing notice only on limited aspects of the investigation into the accident and urged the submission of the final report as soon as possible.

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Allegations Made In NGO's Petition

Advocate Prashant Bhushan filed the petition on behalf of the aviation safety NGO, Safety Matters Foundation. They alleged that three members of the investigation panel were from the aviation regulator, which could lead to a conflict of interest. They also demanded that the full details of the flight data recorder be made public to reveal the true causes of the accident.

Crucial Information Concealed In Report

The petition states that in its preliminary report, the AAIB attributed the accident to the shifting of the "fuel cutoff switch" from "run" to "cutoff," which is directly attributable to pilot error. Furthermore, the petition alleges that the report did not include the full Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) output, the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcript, and the Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR) data, which are essential for the transparency of the investigation.

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Brief Description of Accident

On 12 June, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad. 241 of the 265 people on board died in the accident. The dead included 169 Indians, 52 British, 7 Portuguese, 1 Canadian, and 12 crew members. Only one person, British citizen Vishwashkumar Ramesh, survived the accident.

The questions raised about the Air India crash investigation report are a significant indicator of aviation safety and the transparency of the investigation process. The Supreme Court's notice to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Central Government is considered an important step towards a fair investigation of this serious matter. It is essential to disclose all aspects of the investigation and provide accurate information to the public to prevent such accidents in the future.