Mumbai/New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI): The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the government to order a judicial probe into the June 12 Air India Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people, alleging that the ongoing Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) inquiry is “compromised” and must be halted.
The demand follows a similar call from Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal—one of the pilots of flight AI171—who last month sought a formal probe by the Centre.
In a letter to Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, dated September 22, FIP said: “A flawed domestic probe compromises India’s standing in the global aviation community. A judicial inquiry is therefore not only a matter of justice but also a necessary mechanism for the ministry to cure these profound procedural defects and mitigate its own legal and reputational exposure.”
The grouping, which represents around 5,500 pilots, argued that unlike the AAIB’s “private, administrative process,” a court could compel testimony under oath, issue summons, and demand documents from all parties, including international manufacturers such as Boeing and General Electric.
On September 22, the Supreme Court also issued notices to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a Public Interest Litigation seeking an independent, court-monitored probe. The bench observed that the privacy and dignity of victims’ families were also at stake, and criticised the “unfortunate and irresponsible” selective leaks of the AAIB’s preliminary report that pointed to pilot lapses.
The FIP warned against a “biased investigation” that defaults to the convenient “pilot error” narrative, saying such an approach conceals systemic issues in design, maintenance, or oversight that could resurface in future accidents.
In its July 12 preliminary report, the AAIB said the fuel supply to both engines was cut off within one second of each other, creating confusion in the cockpit. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut off, to which the second pilot responded that he had not done so.
The FIP letter further cited Pushkaraj Sabharwal’s allegation that AAIB officials made speculative remarks at his home visit on August 30, suggesting that his son may have inadvertently moved the fuel control switches to “cut off” after takeoff.
Calling the situation a “complete breakdown of trust” marked by bias, leaks, and public hysteria, the pilots’ body said the government must invoke Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, to immediately constitute a Court of Inquiry.
The June 12 crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick remains one of the worst aviation tragedies in India, killing 241 passengers and 19 crew members.
