Pilots' Body Cites Bias In Air India Crash Report, Demands Judicial Probe

Air India disaster claimed 260 lives, including 12 crew, 229 passengers, and 19 ground casualties.

New Delhi:

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has officially requested the Civil Aviation Ministry to establish a 'Court of Inquiry' led by a retired Supreme Court judge to investigate the June 12 Air India Flight AI 171 crash, claiming that the current Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe has been compromised.

In their September 22, 2025 correspondence, the pilots' organization stated that the AAIB's actions had "fundamentally and irrevocably compromised the integrity, impartiality and legality" of the investigation into the Boeing 787-8 (VT-ANB) crash on the Ahmedabad-London Gatwick route.

The catastrophe, which claimed the lives of two senior pilots, 10 cabin crew, 229 passengers, and 19 individuals on the ground, ranks among India's most devastating aviation tragedies.

Accusations Against Aviation Investigation Authority

The FIP alleged that AAIB officials committed "procedural and ethical breaches," including making an uninvited visit to the 91-year-old father of Capt. Sumeet Sabharwal, where they reportedly implied pilot error based on "selective cockpit voice recorder (CVR) interpretation" and "layered voice analysis."

According to the pilots' federation, this constituted a premature "pilot error" conclusion while diverting attention from potential systemic issues such as manufacturing or maintenance deficiencies. The FIP also accused the AAIB of leaking protected CVR information to media outlets, contributing to the "character assassination" of Capt. Sabharwal, an experienced aviator with over 15,600 flight hours.

"This act of 'poisoning the well' serves to frame the victim as the perpetrator from the outset," the letter declared, noting that such leaks violated Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which forbids disclosure of cockpit recordings.

Demand For Judicial Investigation

The FIP maintained that only a judicially-headed Court of Inquiry with "all the powers of a civil court" can restore credibility. They proposed an investigation led by a retired Supreme Court justice, supported by independent specialists in aircraft maintenance, avionics, human factors, and flight operations.

The federation drew comparisons to the 2010 Mangalore Air India Express disaster, investigated by a Court of Inquiry chaired by a retired Air Marshal, and the Boeing 737 MAX tragedies, where initial focus on pilot error concealed significant design flaws.

"The current AAIB probe has already failed to meet the minimum standard of independence," the FIP asserted, cautioning that continuing this approach would undermine India's aviation safety credibility and subject the government to international scrutiny.

FIP's Specific Requests

The federation has called for immediate establishment of a Court of Inquiry under Rule 12 of the Aircraft Investigation Rules, 2017, alongside a judicially-led panel with independent technical experts.

The pilots' organization also demands formal censure of the AAIB, instructing it to cease extra-judicial commentary and media leaks, while emphasizing that accident investigations should focus on safety prevention rather than assigning blame.

Families Appeal For Justice

In an accompanying letter, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, father of Capt. Sabharwal, described how AAIB officials confronted him with speculative assertions about his son. "At 91 years of age, I seek no favour, only fairness," he wrote, appealing for preservation of his son's dignity and proper investigative procedures.

The FIP emphasized that their request extends beyond protecting one pilot's legacy to safeguarding the integrity of India's air accident investigations. "A compromised, biased investigation that defaults to a simplistic and convenient 'pilot error' narrative is the single greatest threat," the federation concluded.