Air India Crash Probe: The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has raised serious procedural and legal questions over the conduct of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in the ongoing investigation of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad in June last year. FIP sent a legal notice to AAIB after it summoned an Air India pilot, with no operational link to the fatal Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crash, as part of the probe.
In a detailed legal notice, the pilots’ body objected to the summoning of Captain Varun Anand, describing the move as “without jurisdiction” and inconsistent with both domestic accident investigation rules and international aviation norms. The Federation has alleged that the summons reflects a troubling shift in the direction of the investigation, which it claims risks departing from its mandated technical and safety-focused framework.
Summons without disclosure raises procedural red flags
The notice stated that Captain Anand was informed by his employer, Air India, that the AAIB had requested his appearance in connection with the investigation into the crash of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, registered as VT-ANB, which went down in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.
However, the Federation says the communication failed to specify the legal provision under which the pilot was being summoned, the purpose of his examination or the relevance of his testimony to the probe.
According to the FIP, Captain Anand had no association with the aircraft, the flight, or any aspect of its planning, operation, maintenance or certification. Federation further argued that he was not present at the accident site and does not possess any factual, technical or operational knowledge related to the circumstances of the crash.
Familial link, not operational role, at centre of AAIB notice
The legal notice showed that Captain Anand’s only connection to the case is familial. He is the nephew of the deceased pilot-in-command, late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The Federation contended that summoning relatives of deceased crew members, who have no technical or factual linkage to the incident, falls outside the scope of a lawful accident investigation.
“The sole basis for calling Capt. Varun Anand appears to be his familial relationship with the deceased Pilot-in-Command,” the notice stated, adding that such a basis is “impermissible in law” and renders the summons arbitrary.
The Federation warned that this approach raises a “serious apprehension” that the investigation may be proceeding on a preconceived narrative, potentially seeking to attribute responsibility to the deceased flight crew rather than examining systemic, mechanical or operational factors.
Probe’s objectivity questioned amid SC challenge
Beyond Captain Anand’s summons, the Federation has flagged a broader concern about the objectivity of the probe. It noted that the father of the late Captain Sabharwal, along with the FIP, has already approached the Supreme Court of India through a writ petition challenging the independence and fairness of the AAIB investigation. The issues surrounding the manner in which the probe is being conducted are currently sub judice.
Against this backdrop, the Federation described the summons issued to Captain Anand as unwarranted and amounting to harassment, particularly given the absence of prior notice and the personal loss suffered by the family. It also warned that such actions could expose the pilot to professional and reputational prejudice.
Despite its objections, the FIP said Captain Anand would cooperate with the investigation. The notice clarified that he would appear before the AAIB via video conference and respond to queries, while reserving all legal rights and remedies available to him and the Federation.
The Air India Flight AI-171 crash remains one of the deadliest aviation disasters in India in recent years. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner went down shortly after take-off in Ahmedabad, killing all 229 passengers and 12 crew members on board, as well as 19 people on the ground, taking the total death toll to 260.