India's top court seeks response from federal government, aviation watchdog over Air India plane crash

NEW DELHI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- India's top court Monday sought responses from the federal government and the country's civil aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), on the public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent, fair, and swift probe into the Air India plane crash that killed 260 people, officials said.

The apex court took strong exception to reports quoting the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report suggesting that pilots deliberately shut off fuel supply, and described such claims as "very unfortunate and irresponsible."

AAIB, a government body investigating aircraft accidents in India, released its preliminary report on July 12.

The plea filed by Safety Matters Foundation, a non-governmental organization, has flagged certain issues with the preliminary report. It alleged that the report violated the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017, which mandate full disclosure of factual data gathered in the early stages of an inquiry.

The petitioners argue that the report prematurely attributes the plane crash to alleged pilot error while overlooking documented systemic and technical irregularities.

Additionally, it alleged that three probe panel members were from the aviation regulator, which may indicate a conflict of interest. The preliminary report also failed to incorporate or even acknowledge the testimony of the sole surviving passenger.

The petitioners sought the release of the information from the plane's flight data recorder, which would clear the air over the cause of the accident.

On June 12, the London-bound Air India aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, about 17 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat, killing all but one of the 242 people on board.

The accident also killed 19 people and injured 67 others on the ground after it crashed at the premises of B J Medical College in the Meghaninagar area, causing severe damage to the buildings.

AAIB, in its preliminary report on the crash, found that the fuel to the engines of the plane was cut off following confusion over engine switch movement in the cockpit between the pilots.