SC: No pilot fault in Air India crash report; focus on prevention
SC: No pilot fault in Air India crash report; focus on prevention
The Supreme Court states the Air India AI-171 crash report does not implicate the pilot, urging a preventive, not punitive, approach amid calls for a broader probe.
The Supreme Court on Friday orally observed that no fault could be ascribed to the pilot who commanded Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed after take-off from Ahmedabad, claiming 265 lives, on June 12. The hearing addressed Pushkar Raj Sabharwal's petition seeking a judicially monitored investigation into the tragedy.
Sabharwal's counsel argued the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary findings were biased and incomplete, seemingly attributing the crash to pilot error while overlooking possible technical or systemic failures.
A Bench clarified that the preliminary report contains no adverse inference against the cockpit crew and that the main purpose of the investigation is preventive, not punitive. It noted that the report mentions only a cockpit recorder exchange about turning off a switch, with one pilot asking if the switch was turned off and the other replying in the negative, but stressed that this alone does not assign blame.
The judges emphasised that the investigation should serve to prevent future tragedies, not punish individuals. The ruling comes as families press for transparency and for an independent probe beyond pilot error.
Cover image source: ‘No one in India believes it was the pilot’s fault’: SC says Air India crash report does not insinuate anything against pilot 🔗
