A simmering fault line has opened up in the Air India Flight 171 crash investigation after the Federation of Indian Pilots formally objected to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau summoning Captain Varun Anand, the nephew of the late Captain Sumeet Sabharwal. The pilots’ body has issued a legal notice to the AAIB, calling the move “wholly unwarranted” and alleging harassment.
Captain Anand, a serving Air India pilot and FIP member, was informed by his employer that he had been asked to appear before the AAIB on January 15 as part of the crash probe. The FIP said the summons did not spell out the statutory basis, the purpose of the appearance, the relevance to the investigation, or the capacity in which Captain Anand was being called.
In its communication to AAIB officials, the federation took strong exception to the manner of the summons.
“Summoning Capt. Varun Anand, especially when he has no association with the incident and without adequate notice, is wholly unwarranted. It amounts to harassment and distress in the aftermath of a tragic loss and exposes our client to professional and reputational prejudice,” the FIP said.
The federation underlined that Captain Anand has no direct connection to the Air India Flight 171 crash and questioned why a serving pilot with no operational or investigative link to the incident was being called in.
Despite the objections, Captain Anand has conveyed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation and has agreed to appear via video conference to respond to any queries, the FIP said.
Legal pushback
Captain Sabharwal’s 88-year-old father, Pushkaraj Sabharwal, and FIP challenged the preliminary report in India’s Supreme Court, labeling it “profoundly flawed” for over-focusing on dead pilots unable to respond. The court deemed such a narrative “unfortunate.” Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu denied manipulation, urging patience for the final report.
Alleged preconceived narrative
FIP suspects the summons targets Anand solely due to his family tie to Sabharwal, suggesting investigators are building a pilot-error narrative to blame the deceased crew. Citing International Civil Aviation Organisation rules, FIP calls summoning relatives unlawful, though Anand remains open to video testimony.
Survivor accounts and cockpit audio fueled speculation after a preliminary report highlighted a pilot exchange: “Why did you cut off?”- “I didn’t.”
Key questions facing Air India crash investigators
As investigators begin examining the crash, aviation experts believe they will pursue multiple lines of inquiry utilising data from the black boxes, equipment, crew performance, ground operations and the jet’s maintenance.
Was take-off fuel and weight param- eters in range?
Did the plane lose power, if so, why?
Was this a dual engine failure or severe thrust loss on both engines?
Could the problem have originated in contaminated fuel?
Was there foreign object debris – such as a bird hit- during takeoff?
Was there an issue with the electrical systems?
Why were flaps, which (generate lift, retracted, but landing gear extend- ed in its final moments?
How was the recent maintenance record?
What happened in Air India 171
Air India flight 171, flight of a passenger airliner that crashed on June 12, 2025, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, claiming the lives of 241 of the 242 people on board. The reported number of fatalities on the ground varied, with figures ranging between 19 and 33.
Headed for London’s Gatwick Airport, the flight reportedly lost altitude moments after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, and after a brief mayday call from the cockpit, crashed into a medical college hostel nearby, causing an explosion. Air India, the flag carrier of India, confirmed that all but one person on board had died. Besides 12 crew members, the passengers on board included 169 Indians, 53 Britons, 7 Portuguese nationals, and 1 Canadian national. The sole survivor of the crash was a British national of Indian origin. More than two dozen deaths and several injuries on the ground were also reported at the crash site.
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