A year after the Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad claimed 260 lives, grieving families are still waiting for answers, with investigators yet to release the final probe report on what caused the disaster.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released an interim report in July last year, giving no reason for the crash, though a paragraph in it suggested that fuel switches of the plane’s engines got cut off after takeoff.
For many families, the wait has been agonising. They cling to memories of loved ones lost in the tragedy while struggling with unanswered questions. With no conclusive report, their grief has compounded, leaving them without closure or clarity about why the accident happened.
A lawyer with a US-based law firm representing more than 130 victim families from India and the UK has requested the central government to release the flight’s technical data, saying the information is crucial for those seeking justice and pursuing legal remedies.
Under international aviation rules, a final accident report is expected within a year if possible; if that is not completed, an interim statement can be issued. On May 8, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the investigation into the tragic crash was in the last stages and the report was likely within a month.
“The crash investigation is in the final stage and could even be completed in a month. However, the investigation is being done by the AAIB and we don’t interfere in it. We are giving them all the resources they need,” he said. Federation of Indian Pilots president C S Randhawa on Thursday said they want the AAIB to release the final report only after completing a comprehensive investigation.
Referring to media reports suggesting the AAIB may soon issue an interim report, Randhawa said such a move would create further confusion and speculation.
“If there is no conclusion from the investigation, releasing an interim report will only lead to more misunderstandings,” he said.
The London-bound AI-171 flight crashed on June 12 afternoon last year, killing 260 persons, including 241passengers and crew members and 19 persons on the ground. Only one passenger survived.
Former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani was one among those killed in the incident. The plane crashed on a hostel complex of BJ Medical College 32 seconds after take-off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad.
Mike Andrews, lawyer of US-based law firm Beasley Allen representing over 130 victim families from India and the UK, has also demanded release of technical data about the flight from the central government so that families can pursue legal options.
“I appeal to the Indian government to release the FDR (Flight Data Recorder) data so that our experts can conduct an independent evaluation. I think the most important thing these families can have is transparency,” Andrews told PTI during his visit to Ahmedabad in December last year.
“Legal options, such as a product liability suit to be filed in the US, are based on the data we get and what investigations reveal,” he had said. Families of the victims have also sought the final investigation report and technical data from the flight data recorder.
In April this year, 10 months after the tragedy, families of 30 victims from across Gujarat met in Ahmedabad and wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the release of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and black box data to uncover the truth behind the tragedy. They also demanded that the investigation be concluded at the earliest. (PTI)
