Air India Crash Probe: AAIB Defends Summoning Late Captain’s Nephew Amid Pilot Body Objections

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has firmly defended its decision to summon Captain Varun Anand, nephew of late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, in connection with the investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad last year. The probe agency maintained that it is legally empowered to call any individual it considers relevant to the inquiry, dismissing objections raised by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP).

The response from AAIB comes after the pilots’ body issued a legal notice criticising the January 9 summons, describing it as unjustified and an act of harassment targeting a family member of a deceased pilot.

AAIB Cites Statutory Powers

In its formal reply, the AAIB asserted that its authority is derived from the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, which allow investigators to summon and examine any person deemed relevant to establishing facts related to an air crash.

“The bureau can summon and examine anyone as part of its mandate to collect facts and clarify events surrounding the crash,” the AAIB stated, rejecting allegations that the move was arbitrary or personal.

The agency further clarified that investigators are empowered to seek documents, information, or testimony from any individual if it aids the reconstruction of events or understanding of operational, procedural, or human factors linked to the accident.

Pilots’ Body Pushes Back

The Federation of Indian Pilots has taken strong exception to the summons, arguing that Captain Varun Anand, a serving Air India pilot and FIP member, has no operational or professional link to the ill-fated flight.

In its legal notice, the FIP claimed the summons failed to specify:

• The statutory provision under which it was issued

• The purpose of the questioning

• The relevance of Anand’s testimony to the investigation

The pilots’ association stressed that Anand had no involvement in the flight’s planning, dispatch, maintenance, certification, airworthiness clearance, or crew selection, calling the notice vague and procedurally flawed.

Captain Anand to Cooperate

Despite the objections, Captain Anand has agreed to cooperate with the investigators. He was instructed by Air India management to appear before the AAIB on January 15 and will respond to questions via video conference, sources said.

FIP has maintained that cooperation should not be construed as acceptance of what it views as an overreach by the probe agency.

About the Ahmedabad Air India Crash

The investigation relates to the June 2025 crash of Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which went down shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

The aircraft crashed into a hostel complex at BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar, killing 241 of the 242 people on board, making it one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years. Among the victims was former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

Captain Sumeet Sabharwal was one of the pilots who had operated the aircraft prior to the fatal incident.

Tensions Over Probe Process

The episode has highlighted growing unease within the aviation community over the scope and conduct of accident investigations, with pilot unions demanding clearer safeguards against what they perceive as unnecessary scrutiny of crew members and their families.

The AAIB, however, has maintained that its priority remains a thorough, independent, and fact-based investigation, insisting that no individual is exempt from being questioned if investigators believe it may assist in determining the cause of the crash.