'No One Blames the Pilot': How SC Stood by a Grieving Father After the Air India Crash

The Supreme Court comforted the 91-year-old father of late Air India pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, saying “no one blames the pilot” for the Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash that killed 260. The court also sought responses from the Centre, DGCA and AAIB.

The Supreme Court on Friday offered words of solace to the 91-year-old father of late Air India pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who died in the devastating Ahmedabad Dreamliner crash that claimed 260 lives in June this year. Hearing his plea for an independent judicial probe into the tragedy, a Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that no one in the country blamed the pilot for the accident that also killed 19 people on the ground.

“Nobody can blame the pilot for anything,” Justice Surya Kant said during the hearing.

The court’s remark came as Pushkaraj Sabharwal, a retired officer and grieving father, urged for a court-monitored committee headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to look into the crash.

“Don’t Carry This Burden,” Supreme Court Tells Grieving Father

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, told the court that “some quarters” had been unfairly placing blame on the pilot.

“The WSJ (Wall Street Journal) has carried an article based on this investigation,” he said.

Justice Bagchi, however, responded, “We are not bothered with that.”

When Sankaranarayanan persisted, saying his client’s son was being attacked, Justice Bagchi replied sharply,

“Then your case should be against WSJ in an American court. Not here.”

At this point, Justice Surya Kant intervened to reassure the elderly father:

“None of the people in the country believe that it is the fault of the pilot. This crash was extremely unfortunate, but you should not carry this burden that your son is being blamed.”

Sankaranarayanan added, “They (pilots) are offering their services to the nation. Such kind of insinuations — that’s very sad.”

Plea Seeks Independent Judicial Probe Into Dreamliner Crash

The petition, jointly filed by Pushkaraj Sabharwal and the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), seeks the formation of a judicially monitored committee comprising independent aviation experts.

The plea contends that the probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) was neither independent nor technically adequate.

Sankaranarayanan argued that the investigation violated mandatory aviation norms, stating, “Only preliminary investigation had taken place under Rule 9,” and that a deeper probe is required to ensure aviation safety.

The petition alleges that the preliminary report, submitted on June 15, unfairly hinted at pilot error while overlooking potential systemic or technical causes, including possible Boeing design or mechanical faults.

“An incomplete and prejudiced inquiry without identifying the exact cause endangers the lives of future passengers and undermines aviation safety at large,” the plea notes, invoking Article 21 of the Constitution.

What The Preliminary Report Found

The AAIB’s preliminary report, released in July, stated that fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after takeoff.

According to the report, the two fuel control switches were moved to the “cutoff” position in quick succession. Though they were turned back on within 10 seconds, the engines had already flamed out, leading to the catastrophic crash.

The report recorded that one pilot asked the other why the fuel switches were moved, and the other denied doing so.

Importantly, the AAIB said it did not rule out technical faults and had included aviation medicine and psychology experts in the ongoing probe.

“There’s a Problem With Boeing Aircraft All Over the World”

Sankaranarayanan also highlighted that the Dreamliner model itself has been linked to mechanical and electrical issues globally.

“There’s a problem with Boeing aircraft all over the world,” he said, arguing that a judicial committee is essential because “the AAIB probe was not an independent one.”

He further pointed out that the Dreamliner crash was classified as an “accident,” not an “incident,” which makes an impartial inquiry all the more critical.

Air India’s Response

At the Aviation India 2025 Summit in New Delhi on October 30, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the airline continues to review its systems and procedures despite the AAIB report finding no fault with Air India’s operations.

“Anything that happens in the industry, whether that’s us or others, is a cause for introspection. It’s a cause for reviewing practices,” Wilson said.

What Lies Ahead

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre, DGCA, and AAIB, seeking their responses. It has also tagged the matter with a similar petition filed by NGO Safety Matters Foundation, which raises concerns over the impartiality of aviation accident investigations.

Both petitions will be heard next on November 10.