Supreme Court Seeks Centre, DGCA Response on Air India Crash Probe, Flags Need for Impartial Investigation

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding how they plan to ensure a “free, fair, impartial and expeditious” investigation into the tragic Air India plane crash near Ahmedabad on June 12. The court is also considering the need for a court-monitored probe by an independent body.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotishwar Singh issued notices to the Centre and DGCA, asking for their replies within two weeks on a petition filed by the Safety Matters Foundation. The petition questioned the integrity of the current investigation, particularly criticizing the DGCA’s preliminary report, which appeared to shift blame to the pilots for allegedly switching both engine fuel controls from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” just seconds after takeoff — leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Prashant Bhushan highlighted that more than 100 days had passed since the crash, yet no clarity had emerged about the cause, leaving passengers of similar aircraft at risk. He also flagged a serious conflict of interest, noting that three of the five members of the investigation panel were from DGCA — the very body under scrutiny for potential lapses.

The bench acknowledged the concerns around impartiality but advised against public disclosure of incomplete findings. “You want an impartial inquiry, and we understand it. But why should everything be made public before the investigation is complete?” the court asked.

Bhushan demanded that the flight data recorder be made public, but the bench maintained that such disclosures should wait until the full investigation is complete. The court called the selective leaking of the preliminary report “very unfortunate” and stressed the need to protect the privacy and dignity of the deceased pilots’ families.

The court emphasized that investigations must be completed swiftly to avoid speculation and potential misuse by rival airlines. It clarified that the current notice is limited to ensuring a fair and expert-led inquiry — not to make the investigation’s details public at this stage.

The crash of Air India Flight AI-171 claimed 260 lives, including 229 passengers, all 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.