Top Indian court clears Air India pilot as families demand crash accountability

ISLAMABAD: The Indian Supreme Court told the father of the pilot-in-command of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in June, killing 260, that it was not the pilot’s fault, reported Indian media.

Earlier in June, Air India Flight 171, which was a scheduled passenger flight from Ahmedabad Airport in India to London Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom, crashed 32 seconds after takeoff, killing all crew members and 229 out of 230 passengers aboard.

Following the crash, the India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in July issued its preliminary report stating that fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after takeoff.

Later in September, an Indian court said it was "irresponsible" for the aviation authority to suggest, through leaks to the media, that pilot error had caused the disaster, reported Indian media.

It called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the government's response before it rules on a case filed by activists demanding an independent investigation, BBC reported.

The court said the way the aviation body released its preliminary report into the Boeing Dreamliner's crash was "selective and piecemeal."

That same month, the DGCA uncovered 51 safety violations at Air India in the preceding year as part of its annual audit of the country's airlines.

The families of four passengers who died on the plane filed a lawsuit in the US against planemaker Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell, accusing the companies of negligence.

The lawsuit accused the companies of doing "nothing" despite being aware of the risks of the aircraft's design.

In the recent statement by the Indian Apex Court, it told the 91-year-old father that his son, Sumeet Sabharwal, is not to be blamed and will not take the burden, reported the Times of India.

“You should not carry burden on yourself. The pilot is not to be blamed for the plane crash. It was an accident. There is no insinuation against him even in the preliminary report”, said the bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi to pilot father.

Indians reacting to the decision

Indians questioned the probe process, asking if the investigation will be able to withstand Boeing and American pressures.