Supreme Court Allows Sealed Submission of Air India Crash Report on Pilot Father's Plea

The Supreme Court on Tuesday accepted a request from the father of a pilot who died in the Ahmedabad air crash last June, agreeing that the final inquiry report should not be made public. The central government informed the court that it will submit the report in a sealed cover once it is finalized.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana, said the government respects the sentiments of the pilot's father, Pushkar Raj Sabharwal, and will provide the report to the court confidentially. The report, expected to be completed in October 2026, will remain under seal.

The crash of Air India's flight from London to Ahmedabad resulted in 260 fatalities, including all but one passenger and several people on the ground. The investigation is being conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing an NGO, raised objections to the inquiry, alleging bias due to the absence of independent members on the probe team and non-compliance with standard operating procedures. The Solicitor General countered that the investigation is being carried out scrupulously according to prescribed processes.

In a July 14 response to a petition filed by Sabharwal, the AAIB stated that due to the nature, scale, and complexity of the accident, investigation activities are likely to be completed within six weeks, subject to resolution of external dependencies. The draft final report is expected to be ready around October 2026. Under international aviation rules, the draft must be shared with accredited representatives of the state of design and manufacture, in this case the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, for comments before finalization.

The court has not yet set a date for the next hearing.