Air India plane crash: Family members of victims demanded access to black box data

Ahmedabad: The family members of Ahmedabad plane crash victims on Wednesday vehemently demanded access to the aircraft's black box data to know what exactly happened in the final moments.

They said although 11 months have passed since the tragedy struck, they still do not know the reasons that led to the crash.

A total of 260 persons were killed after an Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after it took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

A few family members held a meeting in Ahmedabad on Wednesday to discuss their concerns and demands.

Kaviraj Kuldip Ishrani, a convenor for the aggrieved families' law firm, said the families have been seeking access to the raw data from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).

"Eleven months have passed since the horrific crash of AI 171 in Ahmedabad. The families have been demanding raw data of the FDR and the CVR. Several families have also been in touch with Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) president CS Randhawa, who had written to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) India and AAIB UK," he said.

The families demand that the UK AAIB take a more active role in the investigation, and request raw data and probe material from AAIB India.

Ishrani said they want investigators to examine whether the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) was deployed on the ground.

He said that families are planning to organise a religious function at the crash site on June 12, the first anniversary of the plane crash, subject to permission from authorities.

"If the families (of victims) get permission, they want to organise a religious function for the departed souls at the crash site on June 12. If permission is not given, then it is planned that at least 100 families will organise religious function somewhere else in Ahmedabad," Ishrani said.

"Almost every family has received compensation, but some families want the government to mediate and help them get full compensation," he said.

Hetal Prajapati, wife of Ahmedabad-based filmmaker Mahesh Girdharbhai Kalavadiya, also known as Mahesh Jirawala, who died on the ground during the crash, alleged that the promise of job opportunity is yet to be fulfilled.

"I only demand career-oriented support. I had an accident after my husband passed away in the crash and I have been jobless since then," she said.

Mohammad Rafiq, member of another victim's family, demanded that the black box data be made public.

"It's been 11 months since the tragedy and we still don't know what actually happened that led to the crash. I demand that the data of black box should be shared with the families," he said.