New Delhi: The Supreme Court has observed that no one in the country believes the Ahmedabad Air India crash was caused by pilot error, offering solace to the father of Captain Sumit Sabharwal, who perished in the tragic accident.
Captain Sumit, who served as the Pilot-in-Command of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, died when the aircraft crashed moments after take-off from Ahmedabad Airport in June 2025.
Seeking an independent, high-level inquiry into the crash under the supervision of a retired Supreme Court judge, Captain Sabharwal’s 91-year-old father, Pushkar Sabharwal, had petitioned the apex court. While hearing the plea, a Bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made a compassionate observation, stressing that the pilot’s reputation must not be tarnished without conclusive evidence.
“The air crash was indeed a tragic event. However, you (the petitioner) must not carry the burden that your son was at fault. No one can hold him responsible for this,” Justice Surya Kant remarked during the proceedings.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi added that no formal allegations have been levelled against the pilot so far. “The investigation report merely documents the exchange between the two pilots; it does not attribute blame to anyone,” he clarified.
Senior advocate Gopal Shankaranarayanan appeared on behalf of Pushkar Sabharwal, contending that only a preliminary inquiry under Rule 9 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules has been conducted. The petitioner has sought a full, independent investigation under Rule 11 to determine the actual cause of the crash.
The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Government, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and other concerned authorities, seeking their responses. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on November 10.
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