The reason for the Air India plane (Flight AI-171) accident that took place in Ahmedabad last year has not been known yet. The families of those killed in the accident are extremely unhappy with this delay. The family members have now intensified their demand for the release of the plane’s black box data and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) transcript. He expressed displeasure over the decision of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in which it promised to give only the final investigation report and kept other information suppressed.
According to news agency PTI, this demand was raised in a meeting of the families of the victims in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The meeting took place days after the AAIB told the Supreme Court that the bureau would not disclose black box data or cockpit voice recorder recordings during the ongoing investigation.
The plane crashed in the air after take off
Air India flight AI-171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed just seconds after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12 last year. The debris of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which met with an mid-air accident fell on the hostel complex of BJ Medical College. In this gruesome accident, 241 out of 242 people on board the plane and 19 people on the ground died.
Romin Vohra, who lost his brother, niece and aunt in the accident, expressed displeasure over the AAIB’s decision not to release the cockpit recording. He asked, “If they had no intention of releasing the data, then why did they release the cockpit voice recording transcript (as part of the initial report) just days after the plane crash?”
Awaiting final investigation report: Family
According to the PTI report, Vohra also alleged that the families wanted to know whether the purpose of selectively releasing information was to “put the blame on the pilots or mislead the families of the victims”. Calling for greater transparency in the investigation, she said the families want the raw black box data to be made public, shared directly with them or given to their legal representatives.
Vohra said the families have not yet initiated any legal action and are awaiting the final investigation report, while their lawyers are considering legal options to obtain the black box data. He said that if the investigation report is not released within the time frame given by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, then the families will consider protesting after taking necessary approvals.
Final report will be ready by October
Last week, AAIB had told the Supreme Court during the hearing that the draft final report on the June 12 plane crash is expected to be ready by October this year. The agency also said in its affidavit that there is an “absolute legal bar” on releasing the recordings of cockpit voice and photographs taken during the flight.
The investigating agency argues that to protect the fairness of the investigation and future investigations related to aviation safety, it is necessary to keep the statements of witnesses, transcripts of the cockpit voice recorder, air traffic control conversations and medical records confidential.
On the other hand, the families of the victims also reiterated their demand to build a permanent memorial at the accident site. Vahora appealed to the government, Air India and Tata Group to arrange land and funds to build a memorial in memory of those who lost their lives in the accident.
Leave a Reply