Supreme Court Slams ‘Pilot Error’ Mention in AI171 Plane Crash Report, Issues Notice to Centre and DGCA
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ September 22,2025
The Supreme Court on Monday criticized the premature attribution of blame to pilots based on a preliminary inquiry report, calling it “irresponsible.” The remarks came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought an independent, court-monitored investigation into the Air India plane crash.
In its response, the apex court issued notices to the Centre and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) regarding the plea. “If tomorrow someone irresponsibly blames Pilot A for the crash, the pilot’s family will suffer. What happens if the final inquiry report later clears them of fault?” the Court questioned, emphasizing the need for confidentiality until the investigation is completed.
“That was unfortunate,” Justice Kant said, calling media reports suggesting that one of the pilots was suicidal a “very irresponsible” kind of reporting.
The bench issued notices to both the DGCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, urging for a transparent, fair, and speedy investigation.
The PIL, filed by aviation safety NGO Safety Matters Foundation, claims that the preliminary report withholds critical information and infringes upon citizens’ fundamental rights to life, equality, and access to truthful information.
The PIL also criticised the report for downplaying systemic anomalies, such as fuel-switch defects and electrical faults, and for prematurely attributing the crash to a pilot error.
