Air India AI-171 Crash: Efforts continue to support victims’ families, says lead counsel

Months after the tragic Air India AI171 crash, efforts to assist the victims’ families continue. Lead counsel Mike Andrews, who represents 65 victim families, reaffirmed his commitment to support them as the probe continues. Andrews is currently on his third visit to India. He said the primary objective of his visit is to meet the affected families, understand their concerns, and help them navigate official forms and related procedures.

“This is our third visit back to India. We’re trying to meet with the families to understand what questions they have, to try to help them with the forms and the questions of that nature, but also to understand that this is a process and that patience obviously is necessary in a situation like this,” Andrews told ANI.

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The lawyer stressed that formal legal action would be initiated only after sufficient information emerges from the ongoing investigation. He underlined the importance of key evidence, particularly the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and the flight data recorder (FDR), in establishing the cause of the accident.

“We are still following the evidence, and as soon as we know exactly what’s happened or have enough information to file a case, then we will act. I think for anyone, myself included, to say we know what happened will not be appropriate at this point. We do not think it is appropriate to guess or speculate. We are looking at some theories that we have, and they are all based on the evidence…Which is why again the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder are so important, because they have that crucial information…,” Andrews said.

#WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Mike Andrews, lead lawyer for AI171 crash, representing over 65 victim families, says, “Most of the concerns today are some of the very same concerns they had right after the tragedy. They want to know what happened, know the cause of the crash, who… pic.x.com/DGRsCpL6YE

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2025

One of the deadliest aviation accidents

The AI171 crash, which occurred on June 12, claimed 260 lives, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members and 19 people on the ground. The Air India aircraft crashed within 90 seconds of take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India has released a preliminary report into the incident. According to the report, both engines of the aircraft unexpectedly shut down during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and a rapid descent.

Investigations into the exact cause of the crash are ongoing.