New Delhi: The deceased pilot, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal of Air India, has not been blamed in the AAIB’s preliminary report into the June 12 plane crash, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Air India’s Boeing 787-8 flight AI171 en route to London’s Gatwick airport was operated by pilot-in-command Captain Sabharwal and co-pilot Captain Clive Kunder, who lost their lives in the crash after taking off from Ahmedabad. The horrific incident killed 260 people, including 241 passengers and crew on board.
The top court had issued notice to the Centre and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on a plea of Pushkaraj Sabharwal, the father of deceased pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal.
Pushkaraj Sabharwal and the Federation of Indian Pilots moved the Supreme Court for a court-monitored inquiry headed by a former apex court judge into the crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was told by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) probe team into the plane crash was formed under the international regime and there was a statutory provision for it.
“There is an international convention. There’s an international civil aviation organisation. They have prepared mandatory steps to be taken in case of an investigation into air crashes. There is a regime in place. “Some foreigners are also victims. Those countries also send their representatives in the investigation. I understand the feelings of the father but there is no blame attributed to anyone in the interim report,” Mehta said.
He added that blame has not been attributed to anyone in the preliminary report of AAIB and stated there was some misconception about the pilot’s error after the release of an interim report.