Air India Crash Investigation: Centre Tells Supreme Court No Attempt to Assign Blame
The tragic June 12 crash of Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner that killed more than 250 people, continues to undergo scrutiny before the Supreme Court of India. During the latest hearing, the Union government clarified that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB) inquiry is not designed to assign blame but to determine the cause of the accident and prevent future tragedies. This article analyses: Key facts from the ongoing case Legal provisions governing aviation accident inquiries Constitutional issues raised Relevant judicial precedents Concerns raised by pilots' associations and petitioners The Supreme Court’s observations so far Centre’s Clarification Before the Supreme Court Appearing for the government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Supreme Court that there was no attempt to apportion blame on any individual during the AAIB’s investigation into the Air India Dreamliner crash. He emphasised that the inquiry strictl...