The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) informed the Supreme Court of India that the draft final report concerning the tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash, which occurred in June 2025 near Ahmedabad and resulted in over 260 fatalities, is anticipated to be completed by October. This announcement was made through a counter affidavit submitted to the court, in which the Bureau contested the petitions calling for an independent judicial probe into the incident.
Legal Framework and Investigation Authority
According to the AAIB, the existing legal framework, comprising the Chicago Convention, ICAO Annex 13, the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024, and the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules 2025, provides a comprehensive statutory and treaty-based foundation for conducting aircraft accident investigations. The Bureau emphasized that this framework assigns exclusive investigative authority to the AAIB, thereby ruling out the necessity for any parallel investigative body.
“The statutory and treaty framework governing aircraft accident investigation constitutes a carefully layered legal regime, leaving no gaps that could justify the creation of a parallel investigative body,” stated the AAIB in its affidavit.
Confidentiality of Cockpit Recordings
The Bureau also opposed the petitioners’ request for access to cockpit voice recorder (CVR) data. Citing Rule 17(5) of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules 2025, the AAIB highlighted the absolute prohibition on public disclosure of cockpit voice and airborne image recordings. “Rule 17(5) specifically prohibits the disclosure of audio content from cockpit voice recordings, as well as image and audio content from airborne recordings,” the affidavit detailed.
This stance was reiterated in response to pleas filed by petitioners, including Pushkaraj Sabharwal, father of the deceased pilot Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, and the Federation of Indian Pilots. The petitioners have requested the establishment of an independent committee, chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge, to ensure a transparent and technically thorough investigation, arguing that the current inquiry might compromise aviation safety if left incomplete or biased.
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International Investigation Process
The AAIB defended its ongoing investigation, asserting compliance with both statutory and international frameworks. The Bureau underscored that the investigation is not solely a domestic affair but an internationally governed process, involving multiple state representatives as guided by the Chicago Convention and ICAO Annex 13. This global collaboration contributes to an intricate and time-consuming investigative process, aimed at identifying the root causes of the crash.
The AAIB clarified that the primary goal of the investigation is to enhance aviation safety and prevent future incidents, rather than to assign blame or determine civil or criminal liability. The Bureau anticipates that the remaining investigative activities, pending the resolution of external dependencies, will be concluded within approximately six weeks, allowing for the preparation of the draft final report.
