AI-171 Crash Probe: AAIB Summons Deceased Pilot’s Nephew, Pilots’ Body Sends Legal Notice, Says 'Preconceived Narrative'

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has issued a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), objecting to the summoning of Captain Varun Anand in connection with the investigation

into the Air India flight AI-171 crash involving a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner at Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.In the notice dated January 11, FIP said Captain Anand, a commercial pilot and its member, was informed by his employer, Air India, that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau wanted him to appear in the probe. The aircraft involved bore registration VT-ANB.FIP maintained that Captain Anand has “no association whatsoever with the aircraft, the flight in question, its planning, dispatch, operation, maintenance, certification, airworthiness clearance or crew composition,” and was neither present at the accident site nor possessed any technical or operational knowledge relevant to the crash.“The sole basis for calling Captain Varun Anand appears to be his familial relationship with the deceased Pilot-in-Command, which is impermissible in law and renders the summoning arbitrary and unsustainable,” the notice said.

Captain Anand is the nephew of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot-in-command who died in the crash.FIP further alleged that such action “gives rise to a serious apprehension that the investigation is proceeding on a preconceived narrative seeking to portray or attribute responsibility to the deceased flight crew rather than objectively examining systemic, mechanical or operational causes.”The pilots’ body argued that the summoning violates the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules and ICAO Annex 13, which restrict accident investigations to safety-oriented fact-finding and prohibit attribution of blame or liability. “The governing framework does not contemplate examination of family members of deceased crew who have no factual or technical linkage to the occurrence,” it said.

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The notice also pointed out that the father of the deceased pilot and FIP have already approached the Supreme Court of India by filing a writ petition challenging the independence and fairness of the AAIB investigation, making the issue sub judice.“In the aforesaid circumstances, the summoning of Captain Varun Anand without adequate notice especially when he is not witness to the occurrence, is wholly unwarranted and amounts to harassment and distress in the aftermath of a tragic loss, and exposes our client to professional and reputational prejudice,” the notice said.However, it added, “Captain Varun Anand will appear vide Video conference and shall answer any queries. Please let us know a suitable time and date when the video conference is being scheduled.”