New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it expects the draft final report on the June 2025 crash of Air India Flight AI171 near Ahmedabad — which killed more than 260 people — to be ready by October.
In a counter-affidavit filed to oppose petitions seeking an independent judicial probe, the bureau said most tasks related to the investigation should finish shortly. “In all probability, the investigation activities as described in paragraph 15 above, subject to the resolution of the pending external dependencies set out therein, are anticipated to be completed within approximately 6 weeks,” the affidavit said.
The AAIB said international treaties and domestic laws give it primary authority to investigate air accidents. It cited the Chicago Convention, ICAO Annex 13, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024 and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025 as a complete legal framework that leaves no room for a parallel probe, as reported by Bar And Bench.
“It is thus respectfully submitted that the statutory and treaty framework governing aircraft accident investigation constitutes a carefully layered legal regime… This constitutes a complete code, leaving no lacuna that could justify the creation of a parallel investigative body,” the counter-affidavit stated.
The bureau also opposed requests to release cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and airborne image recordings, saying the rules bar public disclosure.
“Rule 17(5) specifically and separately provides that the audio content of cockpit voice recordings as well as image and audio content of airborne image recordings shall not be disclosed to the public. This is an absolute statutory prohibition,” the affidavit said, adding the petitioners’ demand conflicted with protections under Rules 17(1) and 17(5), read with Schedule C of the 2025 Rules.
Petitioners include Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of the late pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots, who want an independent committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge to ensure a “fair, transparent and technically robust” inquiry. They argue that a partial or biased investigation could endanger future passengers and have criticised the AAIB’s preliminary report for focusing on pilot actions without conclusive proof.
The AAIB said the probe follows internationally governed procedures under the Chicago Convention and ICAO Annex 13, with accredited representatives from the state of registry, operator, design and manufacture taking part.
“The very nature of the investigation and the peculiar nature of the legal regime mean that it takes time to reach the root cause. This is so because the investigating agency comprises representatives from more than one country, and testing and investigation also take place at various levels in different countries,” the affidavit said.
The bureau stressed that accident investigations aim to improve aviation safety and prevent recurrence, not to assign blame or determine civil or criminal liability. It said investigative activities should conclude in about six weeks, subject to external dependencies, after which it will prepare the draft final report.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into the BJ Medical College hostel complex less than a minute after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.
