The Supreme Court of India has voiced deep concern over the selective dissemination of preliminary findings from the Air India Flight AI‑171 crash, emphasizing that assigning blame to pilot error at this stage is both premature and unjust. The tragic accident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, claimed 260 lives, and the piecemeal leakage of information has, according to the Court, created an “unfortunate” narrative in the public domain. The bench underscored that until a thorough and comprehensive investigation is concluded, confidentiality must be preserved to ensure fairness and accuracy in the reporting of such catastrophic events.
The concern arises from a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Safety Matters Foundation, an NGO dedicated to aviation safety, which seeks a fully independent, Court-supervised investigation. The petitioners argue that the existing inquiry, led predominantly by members of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), suffers from an inherent conflict of interest, as the DGCA itself could be subject to scrutiny regarding oversight lapses. This, they contend, undermines the objectivity and credibility of the investigation.
During the proceedings, attention was drawn to a cryptic statement in the preliminary report—allegedly suggesting a pilot questioned why fuel had been cut off—which has been widely circulated in domestic and international media as evidence of pilot error. The Court, particularly Justice Surya Kant, strongly rebuked such speculative narratives, noting that the preliminary data must not be used to form conclusions before the complete set of evidence, including flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) outputs, is analyzed.
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the respondents, signaling a careful scrutiny of the petition’s plea for a “free, fair, impartial, and independent” investigation, highlighting the critical need for measured reporting and judicious examination of all facts before conclusions are drawn.
The petition seeks a rigorous, independent inquiry overseen by the Supreme Court, ensuring that every element of the investigation is impartial, thorough, and expeditious.