The families of British individuals who died in the tragic Air India disaster are urging for a British-led investigation into the crash, citing significant concerns.
Relatives of the 260 victims aboard the Gatwick-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off are still seeking answers nine months later. They have written to the UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) expressing worries about the ongoing investigation in India.
In June 2025, Air India flight 171, carrying 53 British passengers, collided with a hostel in Ahmedabad, resulting in 260 fatalities.
A preliminary report released in July 2025 suggested that the plane’s fuel control switches were mistakenly shifted from “run” to “cut-off” shortly after take-off, leading to a loss of thrust. Although the report faced criticism, a comprehensive report by Indian investigators is anticipated soon.
While acknowledging the efforts of Indian authorities, families of the British victims are urging the UK’s AAIB to review the flight’s black box data. According to The Times, they believe a UK-led review would enhance confidence in the technical examination and ensure prevention of future tragedies.
In a letter addressed to the chief inspector of the AAIB, Robert Balls, the families emphasized the importance of uncovering the truth and preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The families raised three technical concerns that could potentially alter the current understanding of the crash’s cause, including a potential electrical system failure before fuel cut-off, the timing of deploying the Ram air turbine, and an automatically deploying propeller in emergencies.
Reportedly, over 30 families of the crash victims have endorsed the letter. The son of victims Kuberbhai and Babiben criticized the Indian investigation, stating that the truth remains elusive.
Haresh Patel, a resident of Herne Bay, Kent, expressed disbelief over the loss of his family members and questioned the delay in revealing the truth behind the incident, emphasizing a potential technical fault rather than pilot error.
Following the crash, with only one survivor, Viswashkumar Ramesh, a British man from Leicester, miraculously escaped. Ramesh, who lost his brother in the crash, described himself as the luckiest man alive but admitted to facing physical and mental challenges post the aviation disaster.
A spokesperson for the AAIB confirmed receiving correspondence from families of British victims and assured a response to their queries.
The AAIB clarified that information release on the investigation is under the jurisdiction of Indian authorities leading the probe. They are in contact with the Indian AAIB and highlighted details from the preliminary report mentioning a conversation in the cockpit about the fuel cut-off.
In a related development, Campbell Wilson, the CEO of Air India, resigned amidst financial losses and
