Supreme Court petition seeks independent probe into Air India flight AI171 crash

MUMBAI: The investigation into the fatal crash of Air India Flight AI171 by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is facing legal challenges. A second case, this time a writ petition, has been filed before the Supreme Court of India demanding an independent, judicially monitored inquiry into the loss of the Boeing 787-8 (VT-ANB) on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.

The petition was filed by Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of the deceased pilot Capt Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots. It directly challenges the preliminary report issued by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which attributed the crash to “pilot action.” The petitioners allege the AAIB report is technically flawed, incomplete, and biased.