Overview
- The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notice and asked the Centre and DGCA to file written responses, with petitioners to submit counter‑affidavits before the next hearing in roughly two weeks.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that no blame is attributed in the AAIB’s preliminary report, and the Civil Aviation Ministry issued a press note to dispel misconceptions.
- Petitioners—the pilot’s father, the Federation of Indian Pilots, and Safety Matters Foundation—seek a court‑monitored or court of inquiry, alleging procedural lapses and withheld DFDR, CVR and EAFR data.
- The court reiterated that accident inquiries determine causes and prevention rather than assign fault, noting earlier concern over selective disclosures that fueled pilot‑blame narratives.
- Context to the probe includes AAIB’s July update that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF seconds after takeoff; the inquiry involves the US NTSB, UK AAIB and Boeing, as pilot groups flag broader 787 safety issues for scrutiny.