Ahmedabad Air India Plane Crash Mystery Deepens as US Attorney Cites Warning Signs, Seeks Black Box Data

A US aviation attorney representing more than 130 families who lost relatives in the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has urged the Union government to release the flight recorder data, saying it is essential for transparency and for families to understand their legal options.Mike Andrews, of the US-based law firm Beasley Allen, said the recent BBC interview with the sole survivor, Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, raised important questions. Ramesh recalled that the cabin lights flickered and then turned green moments before the crash, which Andrews said could indicate a shift from the aircraft’s primary electrical system to its emergency backup for unknown reasons.Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 bound for London Gatwick, crashed into

a medical hostel complex shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft burst into flames, killing 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. Ramesh was the only passenger to survive."I appeal to the Indian government to release the FDR (Flight Data Recorder) data so that our experts can conduct an independent evaluation. I think the most important thing these families can have is transparency," Andrews told PTI during his second visit to Gujarat since the accident.He said his team represents families from India and the United Kingdom who are considering legal routes, including a possible product liability suit in the United States. Such decisions, he said, depend on what official investigations reveal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=192VoqdlvyY

Without access to flight recorder data, Andrews said he has been forced to rely on investigative reports and survivor accounts. Ramesh’s description of flickering lights, he said, suggests a possible electrical malfunction. "That is an indication of an electrical problem on the plane. A likely switching over from the primary electrical system to the backup, an emergency system that causes the emergency green lights to come on," he said.Andrews said investigators must determine whether water leaks - an issue documented by Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration as early as 2016 - may have compromised the aircraft’s electrical systems. "We know that our plane appears to have exhibited electrical issues. We need to know the relationship between those two, and that's why the flight data recorder is so important," he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTH4gF-5N4Y

On reports that India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will meet the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) this month to discuss flight recorder data, Andrews said the talks may involve technical questions AAIB encountered while reviewing the information.He has also filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the US Federal Aviation Administration seeking details of any inquiries conducted on the American side. Andrews will travel to Anand, Vadodara and Mumbai to meet more families pursuing the case.(With PTI inputs)