Families of AI171 Crash Victims Seek Release of Black Box Data
Ahmedabad: Ten months after the tragic Air India plane crash that killed 260 people, the grieving families of the victims have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling for the release of the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) and black box data. Air India Flight AI 171, a London-bound Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed into a medical college hostel complex shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport on June 12, 2025.
The plane burst into flames, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground.
Around 30 bereaved families from across Gujarat gathered in Ahmedabad on Saturday and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, demanding the release of CVR and ‘black box’ (Flight Data Recorder) data to reveal the truth behind the disaster.
“We want to know the truth about what caused the accident and whether there were any technical problems,” they said.
The letter, a copy of which was sent to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, said that if black box data cannot be made public, it should at least be shared privately with the families of the victims.
Nilesh Purohit, who lost his 24-year-old son in the accident, said, “My house feels empty now.” “No amount of compensation can fill this gap. We don’t want money, we just want to know what happened,” he said.
For many, the pain is compounded by a perceived lack of institutional support.
Kinjal Patel from Vasad, who lost her mother, described the difficulty of using the website recently created by Air India to help families recover victims’ belongings.
“There are over 25,000 items listed, but the images are unclear. It’s nearly impossible to find anything,” he said.
Others expressed concern about the lack of accessible communication channels. Romin Vora from Kheda, who lost her mother, brother and daughter, talked about the difficulties faced by families who are not familiar with digital tools.
“There is only one email ID and responses take up to 15 days. Many people in villages do not even know how to use email,” he said.
He also expressed his discomfort with the public display of personal items on the portal, calling it insensitive.
The airline’s response was awaited.
The AAIB submitted its preliminary investigation report into the plane crash in July last year and will likely submit the final report in June, on the first anniversary of the tragedy.
