Families of AI 171 crash victims urge PM for black box data

Families of victims of the Air India Flight AI‑171 crash have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the release of cockpit and flight data recorder information. The letter highlights frustration with the slow pace of the investigation and poor communication from authorities and Air India.

Ahmedabad: Families of those killed in the Air India Flight AI‑171 crash have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pressing for the immediate release of the aircraft’s Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data as they seek clarity on the cause of the accident.

The appeal is associated with the ongoing frustration with the pace of the investigation and the level of communication from authorities and the airline.

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In their letter, families described access to the black box recordings as “extremely important” to understanding the truth about what happened when the Boeing 787‑8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA) in Ahmedabad on June 12 last year.

The catastrophe claimed the lives of 241 people on board and 19 on the ground, with only one passenger surviving.

“We want to know the truth about what caused this crash and whether there was any technical problem,” the letter states, urging that if the data cannot be released publicly, it should at least be shared directly with affected families.

The letter is in the process of being sent to the Prime Minister.

Copies of the letter will also be sent to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) Director General G.V.G. Yugandhar, and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai.

The letter follows a meeting on Saturday attended in person by about 25 family members, with more than 30 participating online, at which relatives discussed unresolved concerns about the investigation and support from Air India and the Tata Group.

Participants said telephone calls often went unanswered and communication was largely restricted to email, a medium they said was not accessible for all.

“Many people in villages don’t even know how to use email,” one relative said, calling for a dedicated contact number or better support system.

Family members also raised questions about when they would receive the digital belongings of their loved ones and emphasised the need for respectful and direct engagement from authorities.

After the gathering, one family member told reporters that releasing the black box data was vital for understanding “the truth and circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.”

The formal investigation into the crash is being led by the AAIB under internationally accepted protocols.

Both the CVR and FDR were recovered from the wreckage days after the incident and transported to a laboratory in New Delhi for detailed examination.

An initial phase of data extraction was completed by late June, with technical experts analysing cockpit information and flight parameters to reconstruct the final moments before the accident.

In a preliminary report published in July last year, the AAIB noted that both engines lost thrust shortly after taking off when the fuel control switches were moved from the “RUN” to the “CUTOFF” position within seconds of liftoff, leading to a complete loss of power.

The report did not assign a definitive cause for the movement of the fuel control switches, with investigators continuing to review all available evidence.

Authorities have emphasised that a comprehensive investigation is being led with an impartial nature.