AI-171 crash probe report to be filed before SC in October, Centre tells court

The Centre informed the Supreme Court that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's draft final report on the June 2025 Air India AI-171 crash will be submitted in October in a sealed cover. The court also noted simulation tests conducted during the probe

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday was apprised by the government that the draft final report of the probe conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the June 2025 Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad will be filed before it in the first week of October in a sealed cover.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Federation of Indian Pilots can provide its inputs to the AAIB which, in turn, can peruse and deal with them if found necessary during the investigation.

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During a brief hearing, the solicitor general told the bench that four simulation tests have been conducted as sought in an application by one of the petitioners. The law officer said that the final draft report will be filed before the bench in a sealed cover.

The court was hearing petitions filed by an NGO, a law student and the father of the deceased pilot, seeking an independent, court-monitored investigation into the crash.

The bench has now posted the pleas for further hearing on October 13. Recently, the AAIB filed an affidavit in the top court saying that the draft final report of the probe into the crash in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, is expected to be ready in October.

The AAIB had said there is an “absolute statutory prohibition” on disclosing cockpit voice recordings and airborne image recordings from the June 12, 2025, Ahmedabad plane crash to any external committee or the public.

It had said that sharing such material would violate Rule 17(1) and Rule 17(5) read with Schedule C of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025. Prior to this, bench had asked the Centre to file a brief report on the “procedural protocol” followed so far, after it was informed that the investigation into the crash by the AAIB is at its fag end.

Air India’s Boeing 787-8 flight AI171, en route to London’s Gatwick airport, was operated by pilot-in-command Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder. The crash took place after the plane took off from Gujarat’s Ahmedabad. Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was among the victims.