Air India crash probe: Pilots' body objects as airline's pilot, also the nephew of deceased pilot, summoned

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.