The Supreme Court issued a notice on a petition requesting an independent and swift investigation into the June 12, 2025, crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which resulted in 260 fatalities.
During the proceedings, Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh emphasized the necessity of maintaining confidentiality until the inquiry concludes. “If tomorrow someone irresponsibly says pilot A or B was at fault, the family will suffer… What happens if the final inquiry report later finds no fault?” the court queried.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, highlighted concerns regarding premature media speculation following the crash. He referenced a report from The Wall Street Journal that suggested pilot error before the preliminary report was even submitted to the Union government. “Then the government officially released the report, and everyone went around saying it was pilot error,” he stated, indicating that accusations of pilot suicidal behavior were made despite the pilots having substantial experience.
Justice Kant criticized such reports as “very irresponsible,” noting the broader implications of sensationalist journalism in the wake of tragedies, including its potential impact on competing aircraft manufacturers. The court directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ensure a transparent, fair, and expeditious investigation.
The bench observed that attributing blame to manufacturers such as Airbus or Boeing might be unfounded if the aircraft was deemed properly maintained and cleared for flight. The Supreme Court asserted that rumors or misrepresentations should not be permitted to proliferate, particularly in high-stakes investigations like this one.
While recognizing the petitioner’s call for a fair inquiry, the court cautioned that making all findings public prematurely could impede the investigative process.
Tags: Air India crash, pilot error, SC notice, independent probe, aviation safety
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