AI-171 crash preliminary report's public release 'unfortunate': SC

The Supreme Court on Monday sought replies from the Union government and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), asking them to respond on how they propose to ensure a "free, fair, impartial and expeditious" investigation into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people in June, and the need for a court-monitored probe by an independent investigator.

- Utkarsh Anand

AI-171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12, claiming the lives of 260 people.

(PT)

A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notices to the Centre and DGCA, seeking their responses in two weeks on a petition moved by NGO and aviation consultant Safety Matters Foundation. The court also described as "unfortunate" the public release of a preliminary report by DGCA that appeared to imply that one of the pilots could be at fault for moving the fuel control switches from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" seconds after takeoff, resulting in loss of thrust.

During the hearing, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, argued that despite 102 days having passed since the crash, there was "no clarity on what happened, why it happened and what precautions are to be taken", leaving passengers in similar aircraft at risk. He also flagged the conflict of interest in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe panel, three of whose five members belong to the national regulator, which is under scrutiny for alleged negligence.