Air India plane crash: Supreme Court issues notice to Centre, others on plea for court-monitored probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday, September 22, issued notice to the Centre, and others on a plea for an independent probe under its “supervision and control” into the June 12, 2025 Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed lives of 260 people.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh sought a response on the petition filed by Safety Matters Foundation, an aviation safety NGO founded by Captain Amit Singh, through advocate Pranav Sachdeva.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, arguing for the petitioner, raised the issue of reports blaming the pilots for the crash. The court said it was understandable to demand fair and impartial probe, but it was unfortunate and irresponsible to leak selective information.

The bench also questioned the demand for disclosure of the Flight Data Recorder. 

The court favoured maintaining confidentiality till regular inquiry was taken to its logical conclusion.

"When this kind of tragedy happens... Boeing and Airbus will not be attributed with fault, and the entire airline is run down," the bench said.

Bhushan also raised the issue of conflict of interest as the inquiry committee also comprised of officials from the DGCA.

The court agreed to examine the plea which sought a direction to make publicly available the complete data retrieved from the crashed Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, bearing registration VT-ANB.

"When hundreds of lives are lost in a single catastrophic event, the nation not only mourns the dead but also looks to the investigative process as a source of truth, accountability, and assurance that such a disaster will not recur. The stakes, therefore, are not limited to the families of the victims but extend to every citizens," the plea said.

It also sought a direction to appoint independent professionals to monitor the investigation, as the authorities selective and incomplete disclosure of critical information, coupled with the premature attribution of pilot error while overlooking systemic faults, has resulted in a continuing violation of Article 21 and Article 14 of the Constitution .

The plea contended that the preliminary report issued by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is incomplete, selective, and lacking in transparency, thereby undermining the credibility of the investigative process and the trust of the travelling public.

The petition contended when citizens entrusted their lives to air travel, they do so on the faith that the state will ensure a regime of transparency, accountability, and fairness in the investigation of accidents. 

“A selective or compromised inquiry not only denies justice to the victims but also exposes future passengers to the same systemic risks. The importance of this petition, therefore, lies not only in seeking answers for the present disaster but in safeguarding the lives of countless others who continue to fly with the belief that the skies are secure,” the plea said.

It contended the preliminary report failed to comply with Rule 2(25) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which states that such a report served the purpose of disseminating all data obtained during the early stages of the investigation. 

Instead, the report contains selective disclosures, such as paraphrased references to cockpit voice recordings without timestamps, full transcripts, or corroborative context, the plea said.

The plea said by releasing incomplete and unverified extracts of the cockpit voice recording, the respondent has created an information environment that unfairly tilts the narrative in favour of the operator and manufacturer, contrary to the principles of impartiality, transparency, and public accountability that must govern air accident investigations.

It contended by withholding critical data, omitting safety recommendations, disregarding documented technical anomalies, and prematurely attributing blame to the pilots, the respondent has created a skewed narrative that fails to serve the preventive purpose of an air accident investigation.

The plea said such conduct erodes public confidence, deprives citizens of their right to truthful information, and results in a continuing violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, which secure fairness, equality, and the right to life and safety. 

“The intervention of this court is therefore necessary to ensure full disclosure of all data retrieved from the aircraft and to mandate independent oversight of the investigation, so that risks are properly identified, preventive measures adopted, and the lives of future passengers safeguarded,” it said.