Mon, 22 Sep 2025

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 Air India crash aftermath handled 'irresponsibly', says court

Judges say India's aviation body was irresponsible to suggest through leaks to the media that pilot error had caused the disaster.

* India's Supreme Court has criticized the country's aviation authorities for their handling of the Air India crash that killed 261 people in June.
* The court called the suggestion that pilot error caused the disaster "irresponsible".
* The court said the aviation authority released its preliminary report selectively and piecemeal, which was based on an investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).
* The AAIB's report found that fuel supply to the engines was cut off just seconds after take-off.
* A cockpit voice recording suggested one of the pilots may have said "why did he cut off", but it doesn't clarify who said what.
* Aviation safety group Safety Matters Foundation is calling for an independent investigation into the crash, which has left many questioning the safety of India's airspace.
* The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) defended the safety record of the country, saying "India's skies have always been safe", despite uncovering 51 safety violations at Air India in the preceding year.
* Families of four passengers who died on the plane have filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Honeywell, accusing them of negligence.
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