New Delhi, February 11: The Supreme Court held a new hearing regarding the investigation into the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad. The central government requested an additional three weeks to complete the investigation. Justice Suryakant’s bench approved this request and instructed the government to submit the investigation report in a sealed envelope. The next hearing is scheduled for three weeks later.
This case involves the Air India flight AI-171 (Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner) that crashed shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, while en route from Ahmedabad to London. The aircraft went down just 32 seconds after takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 241 individuals, including the pilot-in-command, Captain Sumit Sabharwal, and 19 others. The plane crashed into a medical college hostel. Initial investigations revealed that both engines experienced a fuel supply cutoff, leading to a loss of thrust.
The deceased pilot’s father, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, aged 91, filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding an independent investigation under judicial supervision. The Indian Pilots Federation (FIP) also made a similar request. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the investigation is in its final stages, but some parts still need to be examined in foreign laboratories, necessitating the three-week extension.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the petitioners, claimed that there have been three other incidents involving the Boeing 787 where issues with the fuel switch were reported. He stated that 8,000 pilots believe the 787 is unsafe and should be grounded. Recently, a fuel control switch issue was reported on a flight from London to Delhi/Bengaluru, prompting Air India to ground one aircraft, although the DGCA found no defects.
Advocate Gopal Shankar Narayan cited the Boeing 737 Max crash as an example, where pilots were initially blamed, but later the FAA identified an aircraft defect that had been concealed.
Chief Justice Suryakant noted the recent report of a fuel switch issue on the London-Delhi flight, but an official account stated that everything was fine. He cautioned against making comments about specific airlines without caution.
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