NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court expressed significant concerns regarding the AAIB’s preliminary report on the Air India Crash that occurred on June 12, labeling certain elements as “irresponsible.” A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued a notice to the Centre and the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) in response to a petition requesting an independent, fair, and prompt investigation.
The bench reviewed the preliminary report dated July 12, which indicated potential lapses by the pilots of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the aviation safety NGO, Safety Matters Foundation, led by Captain Amit Singh (FRAeS), argued that three members of the investigative panel were affiliated with the aviation regulator, which raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest.
He further urged the court to mandate the release of the flight data recorder (FDR) information to elucidate the cause of the accident.
The petition pointed out that the AAIB’s preliminary report attributed the accident to the fuel cutoff switches being shifted from “run” to “cutoff,” effectively suggesting pilot error.
Additionally, the petition alleged that the report omits vital information, including the complete output from the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), full transcripts from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) with time stamps, and data from the Electronic Aircraft Fault Recording (EAFR).
The Apex Court raised concerns regarding confidentiality, privacy, and dignity, while acknowledging the importance of a final report. It warned that revealing certain details could be exploited by rival airlines, but underscored that its notices were intended solely to ensure a fair, independent, and impartial investigation.
