относительствам семей жертв авиакатастрофы Air India требуется освобождение бортовых самописцев
In the aftermath of the tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash on June 12, 2025, which claimed the lives of 260 people near Ahmedabad, India, families of the victims are taking action to seek transparency and justice.
The catastrophe, involving a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London, has left many questions unanswered. However, families and their representatives are demanding the immediate release of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and Flight Data Recorder (FDR), colloquially known as the 'black boxes', to aid transparency, accountability, and closure.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), assisted by UK and US investigative teams, holds jurisdiction over the crash investigation and the custody of the flight recorders and their data. Preliminary investigations have already involved recovery and partial data extraction from the two recorders, though the second recorder was heavily damaged and harder to decode.
Mike Andrews, a lawyer from the US-based Beasley Allen Law Firm, is representing 65 families from India and Britain. He has met with relatives in Vadodara city, south of Ahmedabad, and visited the crash site. The preliminary investigation report did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the disaster.
Under Indian law and international aviation treaties, the release of cockpit voice and flight data recordings is primarily for investigative use. However, families can request their release through formal petitions to the AAIB and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) or via legal remedies such as filing Public Interest Litigations (PILs) or writ petitions in Indian courts to compel disclosure.
The demand for the release of the black boxes is due to concerns that delays in the investigation are eroding trust in the process. If the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder show evidence of a defect with the aircraft, the families may bring a defective product or product liability claim in the United States.
The lawyer's visit to the crash site and meeting with relatives took place on Friday. The families are considering legal action against Air India and Boeing, the plane's US manufacturer. A representative for families of the victims, Imtiaz Ali Sayed, lost his brother, wife, and their two children in the crash and is speaking on behalf of 60 families with similar losses and unanswered questions.
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, as no conclusions or blame have been apportioned in the preliminary investigation report. However, the cockpit voice recording indicated that one pilot asked the other why fuel was cut off, and the second pilot responded that he had not.
In summary, families of Air India crash victims can pursue formal requests and legal action in Indian courts to force the authorities to release the flight recorders promptly, supporting transparency and justice for the tragedy.
The tragic Air India Flight AI171 crash has sparked news about the demand for the release of the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), more commonly known as the 'black boxes', to provide transparency and aid investigation. The families, represented by Mike Andrews from Beasley Allen Law Firm, are considering legal action against Air India and Boeing, the plane's manufacturer, due to the unanswered questions about the crash. This legal action could potentially involve claims related to defective products or product liability in the United States.
