The Supreme Court on Monday expressed displeasure over selective leaks from preliminary inquiry reports into the Air India crash earlier this year, saying it was “unfortunate” that information pointing to pilot error was made public before the probe was complete.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh was hearing a petition filed by aviation safety group Safety Matters Foundation, which has sought an independent investigation into the June 12 accident that killed 265 people.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the foundation, argued that the inquiry panel included three officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), raising doubts about impartiality. “How can officers from the very body whose conduct is under scrutiny be part of the probe?” he questioned.
Bhushan also submitted that the pilot’s family was distressed by reports attributing the tragedy to a fuel cut-off and pilot error, claims which were widely circulated by both Indian and international media.
Justice Kant remarked that the leaks were “very irresponsible,” adding: “Instead of piecemeal leaking of information, somebody should maintain confidentiality till a regular inquiry is taken to logical conclusion.”
The petition further sought disclosure of the aircraft’s flight data recorder, while alleging that the preliminary report withheld crucial material such as the full Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) output, complete Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts with timestamps, and Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR) data.
The bench, however, noted that questions of confidentiality, privacy, and dignity were involved, and emphasized the importance of awaiting the final report. Justice Kant also observed that in such tragedies, airlines tend to bear the brunt of public blame, while manufacturers like Boeing or Airbus often escape scrutiny.
Issuing notices to the Centre and the DGCA, the court sought their response on the demand for an independent investigation.
The crash involved Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 bound for London, which went down shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport, striking a hostel building.
