AI-171 Plane Crash Investigation: Six months have passed since the Air India AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, but there are many questions related to this tragedy, the answers to which have not been received till date. Every morning of the family who lost their loved ones in a plane crash begins with these questions and every night ends with these questions. These families are still struggling to know what happened to the plane that day, how did the accident happen and what was its real reason? The situation is such that the family members have to struggle a lot to find the last remains of their loved ones.
According to American lawyer Mike Andrew, who has come forward as the voice of these victims’ families, the victims’ families are slowly trying to recover from their deep grief, but until the truth comes out, this wound cannot heal. Many families are still waiting for the compensation they were promised. Some families are even hoping to get back small personal items related to the memories of their loved ones. For some, it may be an item found from a crashed flight, but for the victims’ families, it is the last memory of their loved ones.
Preliminary report increases anxiety along with hope
Regarding the investigation of the plane crash, he said that after the preliminary report of AAIB, both expectations and uneasiness have increased. In the initial days, things like suicide angle also came to light. This was no less than another shock for the families. This week, Indian investigative agency AAIB and America’s National Transportation Safety Board have listened to and watched the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder in Washington. These are the same recordings which perhaps capture the truth of that last flight.
Andrew clearly said that he never accepted this theory wholeheartedly, but at that time complete data was not available. He still believes that if everything was so clear, then investigators would not have needed to go thousands of kilometers away and scrutinize the data. Pointing to a possible electrical fault in the plane, he said that it is highly unusual for the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) to automatically activate immediately after takeoff. Usually this happens only when there is a serious malfunction in the plane’s system.
We want justice not quickly but rightly
He said that a survivor had reported cabin lights suddenly switching off and then coming on again, which also indicates an electrical failure. Andrew believes that the conversations recorded in the cockpit, such as ‘Why did you cut?’, may have been the result of a technical glitch and not a deliberate decision. He also said that his team is investigating old problems with the electrical system of the Boeing 787 plane. It is important to find the answer to whether the shortcomings in the industry that were raised about nine-ten years ago are the root cause of this accident.
In the end, Mike Andrew said that the path to justice should not be quick, but right. According to him, his team is not running after any fixed date, but is running after evidence, data and truth. Because for these families, this is not just a case, but an attempt to understand the last voice of their loved ones – an answer that may not completely erase their pain, but may definitely give them the right to breathe easy.
