The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has issued a legal notice to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), objecting to its decision to summon a serving Air India pilot who is related to one of the deceased crew members in the Ahmedabad plane crash investigation.
The notice relates to the AAIB’s summons to Captain Varun Anand, nephew of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, who was the commander of Air India Flight 171 that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, while flying to London Gatwick. The accident killed 260 people, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground.
According to the FIP, Captain Anand has no direct or indirect role in the operation of the aircraft involved in the crash. The pilots’ body said he was not associated with the flight’s planning, crew selection, technical clearance, maintenance, or operational decision-making. It argued that summoning him solely because of a family connection to the deceased pilot is unjustified and legally untenable.
In its notice, the FIP stated that the AAIB’s communication did not clearly explain why Anand’s presence was required, nor did it specify the legal provisions under which he was being called. The federation described the action as arbitrary, saying it could cause unnecessary mental distress to both the individual and the family of the deceased pilot.
The pilots’ body further warned that such steps risk setting a dangerous precedent, where relatives of accident victims could be questioned without clear relevance to the investigation. It stressed that air crash probes must remain technical, evidence-based, and free from emotional or speculative lines of inquiry.
In response, the AAIB has maintained that it is acting within its powers under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025. The bureau said investigators are legally empowered to summon any person they believe may assist in establishing facts related to an accident, including seeking documents or statements.
The issue has highlighted growing unease within the aviation community over the conduct of the AI171 investigation. While the AAIB continues its probe and the final report is awaited, the FIP has called for greater clarity, transparency, and sensitivity in dealing with families and professionals linked to the tragic crash.
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