The decision to hear a petition for an independent probe carries deep significance for aviation safety, justice, and accountability, not just in India but the entire aviation sector across the world.
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on November 10 a petition filed by 91-year-old Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), seeking a court-monitored investigation into the June 12, 2025 crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad that killed 265 people, including both pilots and crew. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Centre, DGCA, and AAIB, clubbing the case with a similar plea pending before the Court. Justice Kant consoled the bereaved father, assuring him that “no one believes it was the pilot’s fault” and calling the tragedy “an unfortunate accident.”
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan argued that the ongoing AAIB probe lacked independence and unfairly blamed the pilots. He cited international reporting that hinted at pilot error, which the Bench dismissed as “nasty” and irrelevant, emphasizing that “foreign media reports” would not influence Indian proceedings. The petition demands a court-appointed committee, led by a retired Supreme Court judge and aviation experts, to conduct an impartial inquiry. It seeks to nullify the current investigation and transfer all evidence to a new panel, citing violations of ICAO Annex 13 standards that require independence in accident probes. Calling the current investigation “biased and technically unsound,” the plea alleges selective media leaks of cockpit recordings, breaching confidentiality rules and damaging the pilot’s reputation. It also claims officials ignored potential technical or software faults in Boeing’s systems, such as the unexplained Ram Air Turbine deployment and electrical failures.
This is the second petition before the Apex Court concerning the crash; an earlier one by the Safety Matters Foundation also sought an independent and transparent inquiry into what is one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters. The decision to hear a petition for an independent probe carries deep significance for aviation safety, justice, and accountability, not just in India but the entire aviation sector across the words
The 2025 Ahmedabad crash, which killed 265 people, exposed serious questions about how air accidents are investigated and whether the system is truly independent. The petition filed by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal’s father and the Federation of Indian Pilots argues that the ongoing inquiry by the DGCA and AAIB lacks neutrality, since these are the same agencies responsible for regulating aviation safety. This challenge highlights a vital concern: regulators cannot fairly investigate themselves.
The case also has a human side. Justice Surya Kant’s reassurance that “no one blames the pilot” acknowledges the emotional toll on the pilot’s family and the need to protect reputations from premature blame. The controversy over leaked cockpit recordings and media speculation raises larger issues of ethics, confidentiality, and respect for the deceased. Beyond individual accountability, the outcome could reshape how air crash investigations are held.
