Air India Crash: SC Questions Credibility of Ongoing Investigation
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to examine whether the investigation into the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people including 19 on the ground, is being carried out in a fair and independent manner.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh issued notice to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The Court’s order came in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Safety Matters Foundation, an NGO working for aviation safety.
The NGO expressed concerns that the AAIB had selectively released parts of its preliminary report, creating an impression that pilot error caused the crash. It argued that possible mechanical faults in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and lapses in safety inspections had not been properly disclosed. The petitioner also pointed out that the testimony of the sole survivor was ignored.
The plea highlighted that three of the five members of the investigation team belong to the DGCA, which raises a conflict of interest since the DGCA itself is responsible for ensuring aviation safety.
Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, told the Court that over 100 days had passed since the crash, yet only a preliminary report had been published without concrete findings or safety measures. He warned that passengers flying on similar aircraft remain at risk.
The Court, however, refused to direct the release of complete investigation records, noting that doing so could unfairly harm individuals, such as pilots or their families, if blame is publicly attributed. Instead, it restricted the scope of its notice to ensuring the investigation is “free, fair, impartial, independent and expeditious.”
The NGO sought two remedies: full disclosure of investigation materials and an independent probe supervised by the Supreme Court. The plea was filed through advocate Pranav Sachdeva.
