The Supreme Court on Monday expressed sharp disapproval over the selective publication of the preliminary report on the June 12 Air India crash, calling it “unfortunate and irresponsible” and warning it had generated a distorted media narrative.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh issued notices to the Centre and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), emphasising the need for a free, fair and expeditious investigation. The bench also noted the sensitivity of the matter, highlighting the privacy and dignity of the families of the victims.
The court referred to aspects of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report, issued on July 12, and observed that “piecemeal and selective” disclosure of findings, particularly those attributing the crash to pilot error, had led to a media narrative, which was “unfortunate and irresponsible.”
“There should be complete confidentiality of reports of this nature till the inquiry is complete. There is an element of privacy and dignity of the victims involved. That's why we should wait for the final report,” the bench said.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, representing the NGO Safety Matters Foundation, argued that one line of the preliminary report, blaming the pilots, had been widely publicised, distorting the broader picture. He alleged that three of the five members of the probe panel were from the aviation regulator, raising potential conflicts of interest.
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“There are three interested parties–manufacturer of aircraft, airline and the DGCA and involvement of any member of these three parties will be a conflict of interest. How can officers of the very organisation whose role is likely to be examined be part of the committee probing the incident,” Bhushan said.
He also called for disclosure of the flight data recorder to clarify the cause of the accident, but the bench cautioned against releasing information prematurely, warning it could spawn multiple “parallel theories” and be exploited by rival airlines.
While Bhushan proposed that the panel could be headed by a retired judge, the court noted that inquiries should be conducted promptly to prevent rumours and speculation, while maintaining confidentiality until the final report.
The plea, filed by Safety Matters Foundation led by Captain Amit Singh, contends that the AAIB preliminary report violated citizens’ rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(a) and 21 of the Constitution, by suppressing critical information, downplaying systemic anomalies, and prematurely attributing the crash to pilot error.
The Air India Boeing 787‑8 operating flight AI171 crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London’s Gatwick airport, killing 265 people, including 241 passengers and crew. Among the deceased were 169 Indians, 52 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, one Canadian, and 12 crew members. The sole survivor is British national Vishwashkumar Ramesh.
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