The father of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, pilot of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, has moved the Supreme Court. He has requested a judicially monitored investigation into the accident. The plea is supported by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents more than 6,000 members.
Petition Seeks Independent Committee
The writ petition, filed on October 10 under Article 32 of the Constitution, asks the court to form a committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge. It also seeks the inclusion of independent aviation experts to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry.
The petitioner has requested that the current investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) be closed. He argues that only an independent committee can guarantee accountability and restore public confidence.
Concerns Over Current Probe
The petition alleges that the AAIB’s preliminary report is biased and incomplete. It claims the report wrongly blames pilot error while ignoring key technical and systemic factors.
Captain Sabharwal, who had over 30 years of flying experience and more than 15,000 flight hours, is said to have been unfairly blamed. His father argues that such a conclusion tarnishes the pilot’s reputation and dignity and fails to uncover the real cause of the crash.
Technical Inconsistencies Highlighted
The petition points out several inconsistencies. It states that the aircraft’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency power unit that deploys automatically during electrical failure, activated before any pilot control inputs. This suggests a possible electrical or software malfunction, not human error.
It also notes that the Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) failed to activate after the crash. Another red flag is that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF within one second — a sequence the petitioner calls “implausible under take-off conditions.”
These signs, according to the plea, point toward system failure or digital corruption rather than deliberate pilot action.
Conflict of Interest in Probe Team
The petition raises questions about the AAIB investigation team’s composition. It includes officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) — the same regulator under review — and representatives from Boeing and GE, whose equipment was involved in the crash.
The petitioner says this structure violates natural justice and compromises the independence of the probe.
Unauthorized Leak of Cockpit Recordings
The petition also objects to the leak of cockpit voice recordings to the media. Such disclosures are prohibited under investigation rules. The father argues that the leaks led to negative reports against Captain Sabharwal, violating his right to dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution.
