New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued notice on a plea seeking an independent, impartial, and expedited investigation into the tragic Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash near Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, which claimed the lives of 260 passengers and crew.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh strongly criticized media reports that prematurely suggested “pilot error” as the cause of the crash, reportedly based on preliminary findings of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
The court termed such reports “unfortunate,” emphasizing that assigning blame to the deceased crew is both premature and potentially misleading.
The notice was issued to the Centre, the Director General of AAIB, and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in response to a plea filed by Safety Matters Foundation, an aviation safety NGO. The court specifically directed that the notice serve the purpose of ensuring a free, fair, impartial, independent, and expeditious investigation by a competent expert body.
Concerns Over Preliminary Findings
The NGO, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, highlighted serious concerns about the preliminary report issued by the AAIB.
The plea argued that the report is incomplete, selective, and lacking in transparency, undermining the credibility of the investigative process and eroding the trust of the travelling public.
The foundation pointed out that the Preliminary Report appears to violate Rule 2(25) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which mandates that such reports should disseminate all early-stage data from the investigation.
Instead, the report allegedly includes selective disclosures, such as paraphrased excerpts from cockpit voice recordings without timestamps, full transcripts, or corroborative context.
“This selective presentation creates a misleading impression,” the plea noted, “and risks shaping public perception in a way that unfairly attributes the cause of the accident solely to pilot error, while absolving the manufacturer and the airline of any potential responsibility.”
The plea further alleged that the release of unverified extracts of the cockpit voice recorder has created an information environment biased in favor of the operator and manufacturer, contrary to the principles of impartiality, transparency, and accountability that must govern air accident investigations.
Supreme Court Flags Danger of Simplistic Narratives
Experts and the court have noted that placing blame on deceased pilots is the easiest way to escape the burden of proof, potentially deflecting attention from systemic or technical failures.
The Supreme Court’s comments indicate a firm stance against such premature, media-driven narratives, reinforcing that investigations must be thorough, evidence-based, and free from speculation.
While advocate Bhushan also sought to make public the flight data recorder, the court underscored the need to maintain confidentiality until the inquiry reaches its logical conclusion, stressing that transparent yet responsible disclosure is critical in preserving both public trust and investigative integrity.
The Supreme Court’s notice marks a significant intervention to ensure that the investigation into one of India’s deadliest aviation tragedies is not compromised by early, unverified claims and that the truth is established without bias.
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