The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre on a plea filed by the father of an Air India pilot, seeking a judicial inquiry into the Ahmedabad plane crash. The petition calls for an independent
probe to determine the cause of the incident and ensure accountability.
A Bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and J Suryakant expressed concern over the misreporting surrounding the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash, and observed that the pilot should not be blamed for the tragic incident in which he lost his life.
“Pilot should not be blamed for the Air India Ahmedabad crash. It’s sad incident but preliminary report doesn’t say pilot was at fault,” said the apex court.
It added, “Such misreporting should not be there”.
Referring to the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, Justice Bagchi said there are specific provisions for inquiry into such incidents.
Responding to this, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for the petitioner, said, “Rule 11 is for incidents. This was an accident. Only a preliminary investigation under Rule 9 has taken place. We want a proper independent investigation.”
The court emphasised that the preliminary report does not suggest any fault on the part of the pilot, adding that “such misreporting should not be there.”
Expressing condolences to the father of the deceased pilot, the Bench said it understood the petitioner’s pain and the importance of a fair investigation.
The petitioner also urged the court to ensure that the probe be conducted in line with international conventions on aircraft accident investigations.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre and DGCA on the plea and adjourned the hearing to next week.
Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash
The crash of Air India Flight AI 171 occurred on 12 June 2025, just minutes after the plane took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (Ahmedabad). The tragic incident killed 242 people on board, leaving only one survivor.
Ground fatalities numbered at least 19, bringing the total death toll to around 260.
