Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong reservations about the preliminary findings of the Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the June 12 Air India crash, calling parts of the report “irresponsible” and “unfortunate.” A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notices to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a petition demanding an independent and speedy inquiry into the incident.
Pilot Error Claim Questioned
The petition, filed by aviation safety NGO Safety Matters Foundation, argued that the July 12 preliminary report appeared to unfairly blame pilots for the tragedy. The AAIB report suggested that the fuel cutoff switches on the Boeing 787-8 aircraft (AI171) were moved from “run” to “cutoff,” pointing to possible pilot error. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO, told the court that three members of the probe team were from the aviation regulator, creating a conflict of interest.
Need for Transparent Investigation
The plea urged the court to ensure the release of full flight data, including Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) outputs, complete Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts with timestamps, and Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR) data. The bench emphasised balancing transparency with confidentiality and privacy, warning that sensitive information could be misused by rival airlines. It clarified that its notices aimed solely at ensuring a fair, impartial, and comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crash.
