Pilots’ Body Issues Legal Notice to AAIB for Summoning Pilot’s Relative in AI-171 Probe

The Federation of Indian Pilots has issued a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), objecting to the summoning of a pilot related to the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal in connection with the investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash.

According to a NDTV report, Air India informed Captain Varun Anand that he had been called by the AAIB. The pilots’ body has questioned the move, saying the bureau has not explained the purpose of the summons.

In its notice, the Federation said Captain Anand has no connection to the ill-fated flight. He was not involved in flight planning, was not present at the crash site, and is neither a factual, technical nor expert witness in the case. The organisation stressed that the only apparent reason for the summons is that Captain Anand is related to Sumeet Sabharwal, the pilot in command of the aircraft.

The Federation said this raises concerns that investigators may be working with a preconceived narrative and attempting to shift responsibility on to pilots who are no longer alive to defend themselves. It also cited International Civil Aviation Organization norms, arguing that calling family members during an accident probe is unlawful. At the same time, it said Captain Anand remains willing to cooperate and appear via video conferencing.

Air India Flight 171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed seconds after take-off on June 12. All 12 crew members and 229 of the 230 passengers on board were killed. The aircraft also struck a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad, resulting in 19 fatalities on the ground. One passenger survived the crash.

About a month later, the AAIB released a preliminary report that referred to cockpit audio from the flight deck. The report cited an exchange between Captain Sabharwal and first officer Clive Kundar, in which one pilot is heard asking, “Why did you cut off?”, to which the other replied, “I didn’t.” The reference led to widespread speculation that pilot error may have caused the crash.

Following the release of the report, Captain Sabharwal’s father, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, along with the Federation of Indian Pilots, approached the Supreme Court of India, describing the findings as “profoundly flawed”. They argued that the investigation was disproportionately focused on the deceased pilots. The court observed that such a narrative was “unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said there has been no manipulation of the probe and urged the public to wait for the final report, which is still awaited.​