The 91-year-old father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the Pilot-in-Command of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed in June near Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, has petitioned the Supreme Court for an independent, judicially monitored investigation into the tragedy. The petition, jointly filed with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on October 10, seeks the constitution of a "Court Monitored Committee" headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, along with independent aviation and technical experts, to ensure a fair, transparent, and technically sound probe into the accident.
The petitioners have expressed concerns over the current government probe’s narrow focus on pilot error. Pushkar Raj Sabharwal accused the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of lacking credibility and transparency, stating that the investigation “predominantly focus[es] on the deceased pilots while failing to examine or eliminate other more plausible technical and procedural causes.”
The plea demands that all prior investigations by the AAIB be closed, and all evidence be handed over to the new judicially supervised inquiry. Sabharwal also claimed that two AAIB officials had implied his son cut the fuel supply to the engines after takeoff—a charge the government denies, describing the investigation as “very clean” and “very thorough.”
Call for broader, transparent probe beyond pilot error
The petition emphasises the need for a comprehensive probe that considers all possible causes rather than attributing the disaster solely to pilot action. Sources familiar with the matter told media outlets that the ongoing investigation’s focus on the pilots undermines efforts to uncover the full truth behind the accident.
The Supreme Court has not yet taken up the case. The Federation of Indian Pilots, representing about 5,000 members, along with Sabharwal’s family, are pressing the government for greater transparency and accountability.
Background: The deadly Air India AI-171 crash
On June 12, 2023, Air India flight AI-171 crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad in western India, resulting in the deaths of 260 people, including 241 passengers. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s fuel engine switches reportedly flipped from “run” to “cutoff” almost simultaneously after takeoff, as per a preliminary report by the AAIB.
Cockpit voice recordings suggested that Captain Sabharwal had cut fuel flow to the engines, according to early assessments by U.S. officials. However, the family and pilots’ union argue that technical and procedural failures must also be thoroughly investigated to ensure a complete understanding of the cause of the disaster.
This Supreme Court petition marks a major escalation in demands for an impartial and credible investigation into one of the worst aviation disasters in recent history, highlighting ongoing tensions between the government, victim families, and the pilot community.
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