Almost 10 months have passed since the tragic Air India AI171 airline accident; however, many relatives of the deceased continue to look for answers. Approximately 30 families from Gujarat have written to PM Modi an emotional explanation and are requesting information on the black box that was recovered from the Air India flight. The purpose of their letter is to find out the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 260 people.
The Tragedy That Shook the Nation
Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, on June 12, 2025, fell to the ground after taking off from Ahmedabad Airport (in India) bound for London’s Heathrow Airport (London).
As soon as the aircraft left the ground, it crashed into a medical college dormitory and erupted in flames, killing 241 people on board and 19 people below ground, making this one of the worst aviation accidents in Indian history.
Although there was an official preliminary inquiry into the accident, the families involved claim that there are still many unanswered questions about why the accident occurred.
Demand for Black Box and CVR Data
The families at the centre of the appeal are seeking the release of the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (commonly referred to as the ‘Black Box’). These devices contain vital information regarding the last minutes of the aircraft’s operation, including the communication between the pilots, the performance of the flight systems and any technical failures that may have occurred. The families have requested that if the data cannot be publicly disclosed, then at a minimum, it should be shared privately with them. For many family members, understanding what happened during the tragedy is crucial to achieving emotional closure following their loss. “We don’t want money; we just want to know what happened,” said one father of a son who was 24-years-old at the time of his death as a result of this tragedy.
Appeal Sent to Multiple Authorities
The lack of answers has taken a significant emotional toll. Many families describe a sense of incompleteness—an inability to fully process their loss without knowing what went wrong.
For some, the issue is not about compensation or accountability alone but about truth and closure.
Statements from multiple families reflect a shared sentiment: uncertainty has prolonged their grief.
Struggles Beyond the Tragedy
Finding the answers they are looking for is only part of what families want from this incident; they also have numerous other challenges that remain as a result of this plane crash.
One of the biggest challenges families encounter is trying to get back the personal property of their loved ones. Although there is an online portal set up by the airline to show over 25,000 items that have been collected since the accident occurred, some families have stated that it is difficult to use and find items they need to identify. The photographs of items are also reportedly insufficient to adequately help them determine and identify items of personal property.
For families who are mourning their loved ones, this adds additional distress.
Another concern cited by families is a lack of communication, in that they are often not able to obtain an answer until 15 days after submitting a request. This lack of communication is especially detrimental to families who live in a rural community and are not accustomed to the use of technology or to communicating by way of email.
Emotional Toll on Families
The emotional impact of not knowing the answers has been great. For many families that experienced this sadness, it will always feel incomplete to them; they can never emotionally “process” their family member’s death without having the knowledge about how the death occurred.
When there is an unknown cause of death, it becomes about much more than just receiving financial compensation or being held accountable. It is also about finding the truth and gaining closure.
Families experiencing this situation have expressed a collective feeling; their unresolved grief has continued to be prolonged as long as their memories of uncertainty continue to exist.
No Response Yet from Airline
As of now, Air India has not publicly responded to the families’ latest appeal.
The silence has further intensified concerns about transparency and accountability in the investigation process.
A Larger Question of Transparency
The families’ appeal raises broader questions about how aviation disasters are handled in India—especially when it comes to sharing investigation findings with victims’ relatives.
While authorities often cite procedural and legal constraints, families argue that timely and clear communication should be a priority.
As months pass without definitive answers, the demand for transparency is only growing stronger.
What Lies Ahead
The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether the government and aviation authorities respond to this appeal.
For the families, the hope remains that the truth—locked inside the black box—will finally come to light.
Until then, their wait continues, driven by one simple request: answers.
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