Overview
- The court issued notice to the Union government, the DGCA and other authorities after the pilot’s father and the Federation of Indian Pilots sought an independent probe led by a retired Supreme Court judge.
- Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the petitioner that no fault is attributed to the cockpit crew in the AAIB’s preliminary report.
- The bench criticized foreign media coverage that hinted at pilot error, calling it “nasty reporting,” and said such articles would not influence judicial consideration.
- The petition challenges the independence of the statutory investigation and urges broader technical scrutiny, citing unexplained Ram Air Turbine deployment and the recorded movement of both engine fuel cutoff switches.
- The crash of Air India Flight AI‑171 on June 12 in Ahmedabad killed about 260 people, and the AAIB’s statutory probe remains ongoing as the Supreme Court weighs calls for a court‑monitored process.