Air Inida 171 Pilot's Father Seeks SC Probe, Says Son Can't Defend Himself

Air India Crash in Ahmedabad: Pushkaraj Sabharwal, Father of the Late Pilot, Moves to Supreme Court for Independent Judicial Inquiry

The father of the pilot of the crashed Air India flight AI 171, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, has petitioned the Supreme Court of India for a judicially monitored investigation. The petition, filed with the Federation of Indian Pilots, argues that the current probe by the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Board blames the deceased pilots unfairly. It blames the initial probe for ignoring technical factors and alleges a conflict of interest in the composition of the investigating team. 

Father of AI 171 Flight’s Pilot Demands Further Investigation

Along with Pushkaraj, the Federation of Indian Pilots has also filed the petition seeking a further probe into the fatal accident. Both allege that the initial investigation was flawed, adding that the probe team primarily focused on pilots' faults who are no longer alive to defend themselves. These allegations came after a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accidents Investigation Board mentioned that human error had led to the fatal accident.

The petition says, “The current approach of the investigation has resulted in a failure to adequately examine, or rule out, other more plausible technical and procedural factors. The petitioners emphasise that factual misdirection through selective disclosure, especially against crew who cannot defend themselves, impedes root cause discovery and threatens future flight safety-calling for a neutral judicial lens.”

Initial Probe Unfairly Blamed the Deceased Pilots

The petition fundamentally disregards and questions the five-member investigation team: "The team is dominated by officers from DGCA, the State aviation authorities whose procedures, oversight, and possible lapses are directly implicated in the investigation.” Additionally, “The officers are placed under the control of the DG, AAIB, thereby creating a situation where the very entities responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation are effectively investigating themselves.”

It further claims that only a judicial and expert-driven investigation, separate from the regulatory authorities, can find out the real cause of the accident. In support of the late Captain Sabharwal, the petition added that he had an “unblemished career spanning over 30 years.”

In brief, the petition demands a thorough and transparent investigation by a judicially monitored committee led by a retired Supreme Court judge. The pilot’s father and the Federation of Indian Pilots eagerly await SC’s response and expect the investigation to be carried out soon, with strict procedures without hiding any details.