A year after AI 171 tragedy, families of victims are still searching for answers

On the first anniversary of the Air India flight 171 crash, families of the 260 victims continue to await answers and accountability. The Ahmedabad to London Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed into a medical student hostel seconds after takeoff on June 12, 2025. The victims included former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, with British citizen Vishwas Kumar Ramesh emerging as the sole survivor. Investigations revealed that the aircraft's fuel control switches moved to the cutoff position 32 seconds after takeoff, causing a total power loss. The cockpit voice recorder captured confusion between the pilots regarding the cutoff. While an interim report focused on pilot error, critics and the pilots' families have disputed these claims. The matter has reached the Supreme Court, where the central government stated the investigation was ongoing. One year later, the final comprehensive report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau remains pending, leaving the cause of the world's first fatal hull loss of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner unresolved.