More than 60 families grieving the loss of loved ones in the catastrophic Air India crash in Ahmedabad have taken legal steps in the United States, hiring prominent law firm Beasley Allen to explore the possibility of accountability and compensation through a product liability case.
The June 12 disaster, in which Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, claimed 260 lives. The death toll included 241 passengers and crew and 19 people on the ground, among them four medical students. The aircraft, bound for London Gatwick, collided with a hostel complex in Meghaninagar before erupting into flames.
Mike Andrews, an aviation attorney with Beasley Allen, visited the crash site and met bereaved families in Vadodara, many of whom hail from Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu.
“We visited the crash site and spoke with some of the individuals who were there. We were able to take some photographs and get a feeling of the size of the scene. We met families from the UK and India, and they all expressed their burning desire for answers, for transparency and information,” Andrews told reporters on Friday.
According to his legal team, the law firm now represents 65 families from India and the UK. Andrews said legal proceedings in a US court may be possible if the investigation points to manufacturing or system faults.
“We currently represent 65 families who are citizens of both India and the UK. Legal options are based on the data and what investigations reveal. It will give us an idea which entity may or may not be responsible. If Boeing is found to be responsible for this crash, we anticipate the cases will be filed in the Federal court in the US,” he explained.
Andrews urged the Indian government to release the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder contents to allow independent experts to assess the sequence of events.
Also read: UK family gets wrong body of AI crash victim, funeral halted
"Families want data to be released to their attorneys and experts. We know Air India and the Indian government have this information. It is time to reveal that data so that experts can help families understand," he said.
When asked about a report suggesting pilot error, Andrews was critical of what he described as a predictable deflection tactic.
“We don't know whose error was that. The allegation is that a switch was removed. A very small piece of information has been released from the cockpit voice recorder. What we don't know is the larger context, what other conversations were held between the pilots. Once we have data, we will know that,” he said.
He further added, “That narrative typically originated from the manufacturer and it's an attempt to deflect focus from their product.”
Responding to a question on whether Indian pilots were being scapegoated, Andrews said the problem was not confined to nationality.
“Not just Indian pilots, more often than not, pilots who are dead are the ones who are blamed. In other incidents wherein planes landed safely, those pilots were not blamed, because those pilots can speak for themselves.”
Andrews maintained that the US remains the best legal forum to seek corporate accountability. “The US legal system is set up in a way that an individual, a consumer or family, can stand on a level playing field with a multinational firm such as Boeing, look them in the eye and request accountability.”
He called on the Indian government to provide transparency not only for the sake of families but for global aviation safety.
From Vadodara, Andrews plans to travel to Surat and Diu, where more victims’ families have expressed interest in pursuing legal recourse. Before his return to the United Kingdom, he will meet additional families in Ahmedabad.
Follow us
