In its affidavit before the Supreme Court, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau stated that India and the global aviation sector have a highly developed and structured legal framework for investigating aircraft accidents. Under this framework, the exclusive and primary authority to conduct aircraft accident investigations rests with the AAIB. The bureau maintained that there is no legal basis for establishing any parallel investigation body or committee for this case, asserting that the existing law is complete and does not contain any shortcomings.
The AAIB also opposed the demand made by petitioners seeking the public release of Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recordings and related flight data. The bureau stated that under Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Rules, 2025, cockpit voice recordings and in-flight image recordings are legally prohibited from being made public.
According to the AAIB, these sensitive records are required to remain confidential under Rule 17(1) and Schedule C of the regulations due to security and investigative concerns. The bureau argued that the petitioners’ demand for disclosure of such information is completely contrary to the provisions of the law.
The petitions before the Supreme Court were filed in connection with the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI171 in Ahmedabad in June 2025. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which was flying to London, lost control less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport and crashed into the hostel complex of BJ Medical College.
The catastrophic accident resulted in the deaths of 241 passengers and crew members out of the 242 people aboard the aircraft. Additionally, 19 people on the ground lost their lives in the disaster. The crash claimed the lives of more than 260 people in total, making it one of the most devastating aviation tragedies in recent years.
The father of the deceased pilot Captain Sumit Sabharwal, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, along with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), has filed petitions before the Supreme Court seeking an independent and technically competent committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge. The petitioners have also questioned the findings of the preliminary investigation report, alleging that it attempted to place responsibility on the pilots’ actions without sufficient evidence.
The Supreme Court proceedings have brought renewed focus on the transparency, confidentiality, and legal framework surrounding aviation accident investigations. With the AAIB expecting the draft final report by October, the outcome of the investigation remains closely watched by aviation authorities, affected families, and stakeholders seeking clarity on the causes behind the tragic Air India AI171 crash.
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