Order judicial inquiry into Air India crash, pilots’ body FIP tells Centre
The letter said there had been “grave and alarming developments that have compromised the integrity, impartiality, and legality of the ongoing investigation
NEW DELHI: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has asked the civil aviation ministry to halt the ongoing investigation into the Air India Flight AI 171 crash by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and instead set up a judicial inquiry to probe the incident, citing bias, unlawful disclosures, and a loss of public confidence in the current process.
The letter said there had been “grave and alarming developments that have compromised the integrity, impartiality, and legality of the ongoing investigation” and pointed to an unsolicited visit by AAIB officials to the residence of 91-year-old Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, one of the two pilots of Air India Flight AI 171 that crashed soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
The federation said the AAIB officials allegedly insinuated that Capt Sabharwal may have deliberately moved the fuel control switches to the cutoff position, a claim described as “procedurally improper and professionally indefensible.”
The September 22 letter, comes days after Sabharwal also petitioned the government to seek an independent probe into the incident. The Supreme Court is also hearing a petition that has sought steps to ensure a “free, fair, impartial and expeditious investigation by an expert body” into the crash that killed 260 people.
On June 12, Air India Flight AI-171 carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 229 passengers, all crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
The AAIB led the inquiry into the tragedy, with participation from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and Boeing representatives.
On July 12, the preliminary report revealed that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF seconds after takeoff, resulting in a loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the fuel cutoff, with the other denying responsibility. The Ram Air Turbine, a backup power system, deployed automatically, and although one engine began to recover after the switches were returned to RUN, the aircraft could not regain altitude.
Capt. Sabharwal, a line training captain with over 15,600 hours of flying, has been portrayed in some reports as suffering from suicidal tendencies, the letter said. FIP said the narrative that he had suicidal tendencies was unfounded and “a direct and malicious attack on the Fundamental Right to reputation.”
FIP also accused AAIB of violating the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which prohibit the disclosure of cockpit voice recorder (CVR) contents. Selective CVR leaks, the federation which counts 550 pilots as members, said have fuelled “a vicious and baseless media campaign” and led to the “character assassination of a decorated professional.”
The federation also warned that a premature focus on pilot error could obscure systemic flaws.
“A compromised, biased investigation that defaults to a simplistic and convenient “pilot error” narrative is the single greatest threat to achieving that goal. It ensures that underlying dangers-be they in design, maintenance, or oversight-remain hidden, only to re-emerge in a future catastrophe,” the letter said.
