The aftermath of the tragic Air India AI-171 plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, continues to unfold as families of the victims seek justice and answers. With trials in India often prolonged, the son of one of the victims, Kalpana Ben Prajapati, has taken legal action in the United States against the aircraft manufacturing company, Boeing.
Hir Prajapati, Kalpana Ben Prajapati's son, has filed a suit in a U.S. federal court to expedite the legal process and obtain crucial information from the aircraft's black box. Hir Prajapati expressed his frustration with the slow pace of legal proceedings in India, stating, "In India, trials get dragged for years. We are fighting the case in the US so that a decision is pronounced early. We believe we will get justice". He hopes that the U.S. court will provide a quicker resolution and bring closure to the grieving family.
The family has hired Mike Andrews, an aviation attorney with the U.S.-based law firm Beasley Allen, to represent them. Andrews is also representing at least 65 families from India and the U.S. whose relatives perished in the AI-171 plane crash. Andrews is currently in India meeting with the families and visited the crash site in Ahmedabad. He emphasized the families' need for answers, transparency, and information.
Andrews highlighted the importance of obtaining data from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder (black box) to determine the cause of the crash. He stated, "We are seeking the cockpit and black box data to understand what happened during the flight that led to the crash – what caused it, at what point the problems started, whether it was the aircraft, pilots, or maintenance". He also mentioned the possibility of a computer system failure, given the sophisticated electrical systems in the Boeing 787.
A preliminary investigation report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau indicated that fuel to the jet's engines was cut off moments before impact. However, the report did not offer any conclusions or assign blame for the disaster. The report indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel based on the cockpit voice recording. The second pilot responded that he had not.
Imtiaz Ali Sayed, who lost his younger brother, his wife, and their two children in the crash, spoke on behalf of 60 families, demanding the immediate release of the black box data. He said, "These devices contain vital information that can reveal the truth behind this horrific tragedy... Every day without answers deepens the pain of our loss and erodes public trust in aviation safety".
Andrews explained that the legal options available to the families would depend on the data from the flight recorders and the findings of the investigation. He noted that if the data indicates a defect in the aircraft, a product liability claim could be filed in the United States.
