Delhi HC refuses plea seeking 'Reading Down' of AAIB preliminary report on Ahmedabad AI flight crash

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has refused to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought "reading down" of the preliminary investigation report into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad last year.

A bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia said the plea was "highly misconceived." The judges explained that the doctrine of reading down is used by courts to interpret laws, not to change or rewrite findings in an expert investigation report.

The petition was filed after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its preliminary report on the crash. The petitioner wanted the report to include a detailed time chart showing when cockpit switches were turned off and when the engine flame-off occurred. He argued that this information could help determine whether a surge caused the failure.
The Court said accident investigation reports are prepared by technical experts and courts cannot direct changes to such reports. It added that even if there are gaps in the report, the judiciary cannot force investigators to revise their findings.

The bench also refused the request to make the time chart public, stating that such directions cannot be issued through a writ of mandamus while the investigation is still ongoing. Finding no merit in the plea, the High Court dismissed the petition.

Earlier, the AAIB categorically clarified that reports suggesting that the investigation into the Air India Flight AI-171 accident has been finalised are incorrect and speculative.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has stated that the investigation is ongoing and no final conclusions have been reached.

The AAIB conducts investigations strictly in accordance with the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, and India's obligations under ICAO Annexe 13. Aircraft accident investigations are technical, evidence-based processes aimed at determining root causes and enhancing safety.