The Supreme Court of India has asked the Centre to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding an independent investigation into the Air India Boeing 787 crash on June 12 that claimed 260 lives. The case was filed by the NGO Safety Matters Foundation and challenges the current inquiry being conducted by Indian authorities.
What the Plea Says
- The PIL argues that the investigation panel includes officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India’s aviation regulatory body. The NGO claims this creates a conflict of interest, since any probe would have to examine possible regulatory lapses by the DGCA itself.
- The crash occurred after the plane lost engine thrust shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, causing 241 of the 242 people on board to perish, along with additional casualties on the ground.
- A preliminary report released by authorities noted that confusion in the cockpit played a role, particularly because the fuel engine switches had almost simultaneously been flipped from “RUN” to “CUTOFF.” However, that report appeared to clear manufacturers Boeing and GE Aerospace of direct fault.
What the Supreme Court Has Asked
- The Court has requested the government to respond, particularly to the claims of conflict of interest and concerns over the impartiality of the current investigation.
- It emphasized that any investigation should be “fair, impartial, independent, and expeditious,” and preferably conducted by an expert body not under the DGCA.
Why It Matters
- Public concern has grown over whether the DGCA led investigation can impartially examine its own role, especially if there were failures in regulation or oversight.
- Families of the victims have voiced dismay at what they view as premature attribution of blame to pilot error, without fully considering technical or systemic issues.
- The case also coincides with U.S. litigation by relatives of some victims against Boeing and Honeywell, particularly over the aircraft’s fuel switch mechanism.
