The relatives of the victims of the Air India 171 flight crash are hoping for more answers. AAIB’s initial report revealed that fuel switches were cut off. There is no idea of how it happened. Some families have criticized the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s report. It was published on Friday. Families of believe it serves as a “cover up” for the Tata’s AI, Boeing, and the government. They opine that the report is just “aviation jargon praising Boeing’s systems” while producing “nothing conclusive”.
The London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical college shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on 12 June, killing 241 of 242 people on board, and 19 on the ground.
Also read: AAIB Releases Preliminary Report for Ahmedabad Plane Crash Investigation
Lack of Clarity
Sisters Dhir and Heer Baxi were flying home to London after surprising their grandmother for her birthday. Their cousin, Ishan Baxi, who lives in Ahmedabad, said: “We’re still hoping for a more transparent and honest investigation. It should not shy away from addressing possible mechanical flaws. It should also address any lapses in protocol to avoid future potential accidents.
He hopes the final report is clear about what happened and who is responsible. “More than anything, it should push for real changes so this never happens again.”
Biased Pilot’s Error
Gloucestershire resident Akeel Nanabawa, his wife Hannaa Vorajee, and their daughter Sara died in the crash too. Akeel’s brother-in-law, Ameen Siddiqui said, “The report is wrong. We don’t accept it.” He alleged that the report is biased towards pilot error, when the pilots are not here to defend themselves. Siddiqui has rejected Air India’s compensation offer too. He added that he would take the airline to court for “killing our family members”.
Call for Real Change in Guidelines
Tushar Joge’s male cousin’s in-laws, Vallabh Nagji Agheda and wife Vinaben Vallabh Agheda, both died in the crash. They were in their 70s. Tushar also believes the report acts as a “cover up”. “We were pre-empting that they would start blaming the pilots,” he said. “The FAA, which is the US aviation regulator, gave an advisory in 2018. This advisory was to check the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature. Shouldn’t they have made this a mandatory requirement rather than an advisory?”
Waiting for Transparent and Conclusive Reports
The Aghedas were on their way to the UK to visit their daughter and her family. Their son-in-law stated that most families hold the aircraft responsible. The issue could be Boeing’s design or Air India’s faulty maintenance.
Sameer Rafik, cousin of crash victim Faizan Rafik from Leicester, told the BBC he did not trust the Indian government. “Until the airline provides the cockpit recording to us, I’m not going to believe the report,” Rafik said.
UK law firms are already representing families of dozens of passengers who died in the AI 171 crash. They are considering legal action against Boeing and Air India.
Air India’s Statement
An Air India spokesperson said: “Air India is working closely with stakeholders, including regulators. We continue to fully cooperate with the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and other authorities as their investigation progresses.”
Air India CEO also pointed out that the initial report found no mechanical or maintenance issues. “Let’s focus on the findings instead. The Preliminary Report noted no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft. There were also no issues with the engines. All mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed.” There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll,” said Mr Wilson.
“Until a final report or cause is tabled, new rounds of speculation will surely arise. There will also be more sensational headlines. We must nevertheless remain focused on our task. We should stay true to the values that have powered Air India’s transformation journey over the past three years. These values are integrity, excellence, customer focus, innovation, and teamwork,” the Air India CEO added.
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