New Delhi: The final report into the the June 12, 2025 Air India Flight AI-171 crash near Ahmedabad will be ready by October, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
It also denied charges that the probe is being carried out solely by officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), insisting that it is not an “in-house” exercise.
The investigation is being conducted in accordance with international aviation protocols with the participation of accredited representatives and experts from other countries, the AAIB said.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was hearing petitions filed by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) and the father of deceased pilot Captain Sumit Sabharwal, seeking a court-monitored probe into the crash while raising concerns over the manner in which the investigation is being conducted, when these submissions were made, as reported by Republic TV.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the FIP, submitted that simulation exercises should form an integral part of the investigation. A United States-based law firm representing victims of the crash had also suggested that simulations be conducted, particularly as the accident involved victims from that country, he told the Court.
Appearing for Captain Sabharwal’s father, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan questioned the pace and nature of the investigation. There had been considerable delay in completing the probe and contended that the investigation was being carried out only by DGCA officials, he contended.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the AAIB, countered these submissions and said the allegation was incorrect. He submitted that the investigation is being conducted in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules and applicable international treaties to which India is a party.
Accredited representatives and experts from countries whose nationals were among the victims were participating in the investigation, as mandated under international protocol, the SG told the Court.
Mehta remarked that the petitioner appeared to have an “unnecessary bias towards every Indian authority”, Mehta said in response to Bhushan’s criticism of the investigation,
The investigation also involves simulations and technical analysis to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the crash and ascertain its cause, the AAIB informed the Court.
The SG assured the bench that the final investigation report would be placed before the Court in a sealed cover by October this year.
Mehta submitted that several aircraft components had to be sent abroad for specialised forensic and technical examination before being returned to India, making the investigation a time-consuming exercise, while explaining why the timeline had been extended despite an earlier assurance that the report would be ready by January.
The Court took note of the assurance given by the AAIB and recorded that the final investigation report would be filed before the Court by October. It posted the matter for next hearing on October 12.
The petitioners had questioned the independence of the investigation, raised objections to the AAIB’s preliminary report and sought preservation and examination of all relevant evidence at earlier hearings. The Court had then sought the Centre’s response and a status report on the investigation before considering the prayers seeking judicial intervention in the matter.
