One Year After Air India Crash, Families Still Seek Truth and Accountability

AHMEDABAD, June 12: A year after the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171 near Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives, families of the victims continue to wait for definitive answers, with the final investigation report yet to be made public.

The tragedy, one of India’s deadliest aviation disasters in recent years, left hundreds of families grappling with loss and uncertainty. While investigators released a preliminary assessment last July, it stopped short of identifying the exact cause of the accident, leaving many questions unresolved.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the inquiry, had issued an interim report indicating that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches were found in the cutoff position shortly after takeoff. However, the report did not establish why this occurred or whether it directly led to the crash.

For relatives of those who perished, the absence of a conclusive explanation has prolonged their anguish. Many say that understanding what happened is essential for achieving closure and ensuring accountability.

The London-bound flight crashed just 32 seconds after departing from Ahmedabad’s airport on June 12 last year. The aircraft struck a hostel complex of BJ Medical College, killing 241 passengers and crew members and 19 people on the ground. Only one passenger survived the catastrophe.

Among the victims was former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, whose death added to the national shock surrounding the incident.

The delay in releasing the final findings has also drawn attention from legal representatives of affected families. Mike Andrews, a lawyer with US-based law firm Beasley Allen, which represents more than 130 families from India and the United Kingdom, has urged authorities to make technical flight data available for independent review.

According to Andrews, access to information from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) would help aviation experts conduct their own analysis and assist families pursuing legal remedies. He has maintained that transparency is critical for establishing confidence in the investigative process.

The legal team has argued that future litigation, including potential product liability claims, may depend on evidence derived from official findings and recorded flight data.

Victims’ families have repeatedly sought access to the aircraft’s black box information and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) records. Earlier this year, relatives of 30 victims from different parts of Gujarat submitted a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to expedite the inquiry and disclose relevant technical details.

The families stressed that timely disclosure would help address lingering doubts surrounding the sequence of events that led to the disaster.

Meanwhile, aviation experts have cautioned against releasing incomplete findings. Federation of Indian Pilots president C S Randhawa said any further interim observations without a clear conclusion could trigger speculation and create confusion regarding the investigation.

He emphasized that the final report should be issued only after all evidence has been thoroughly examined and every aspect of the accident has been evaluated.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu had stated in May that the inquiry was nearing completion and could be finalized within weeks. He reiterated that the investigation remains independent and that the government’s role is limited to providing necessary support and resources to the AAIB.

International aviation guidelines generally recommend publication of a final accident report within a year whenever feasible. In cases where the process takes longer, investigators are expected to provide updates on progress.

As the first anniversary of the crash passes, families continue to remember their loved ones while hoping that the final report will offer a clear account of what happened on that fateful afternoon. For many, the search for answers has become as important as the pursuit of justice, with the expectation that the findings will help prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Until the investigation reaches its conclusion, the questions surrounding the AI-171 disaster remain unanswered, leaving relatives still waiting for the truth behind one of India’s most tragic aviation accidents.