September 13, 2025

The lead US lawyer fighting for families affected by the tragic Air India AI171 crash is raising some serious doubts! Mike Andrews, from Montgomery, Alabama, represents about 110 victims’ families—those on the plane and those killed on the ground. He told ANI, "So far we represent the families of approximately 110 victims and that's a mix of people who were both on the aircraft and on the ground."

Andrews and his team are busy working with experts, sifting through documents, and talking to key people to unravel the mystery behind this deadly crash. "We are continuing to work with our experts, gathering documents, and talking to individuals that we believe may have information helpful to our investigation," he revealed.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India shared a quick preliminary report right after the crash on June 12. But Andrews said it left many puzzles unsolved. "The AAIB released the preliminary report, which was fairly quick but highly decontextualised and led to more questions than it provided answers," he said. The investigation pace seems like previous Boeing cases, which adds to the worry.

What about the money Air India gave to the families? Andrews shot that down straightaway, "No, that payment is not going to be sufficient over the rest of their lives."

Some early papers mention indemnity terms—basically small legal fine prints about family members agreeing not to claim more later. Andrews said these shouldn’t stop families from aiming bigger at Boeing. "At least with respect to the one small waiver provision that I noticed, or actually it was an indemnity provision, all it spoke to was the requirement for the person receiving the money on behalf of the family to agree to indemnify against other family members who might come forward later. That should have no effect whatsoever in claims against Boeing or other companies," he explained clearly.

But here’s the spicy tech part! Andrews highlighted an ongoing theory of water leaks in the aircraft. These leaks could drip into computer equipment bays under the front and rear lavatories and galley areas. And guess what? ``Water can leak into the equipment bays and cause the computers to become wet. If that happens, according to the FAA, those leaks can cause electrical shorts, which can lead to the loss of computers and equipment critical for safety and flight..."

He hammered home Boeing’s role: "The manufacturer of the plane obviously is responsible for defects that can exist in the plane at the time it leaves the manufacturer. So in this case, if the couplings were defective at the time they left Boeing, then Boeing could be held responsible for those. Similarly, if Boeing failed to install proper waterproofing and sealing in areas over these EE bays, they can also be responsible for that if that is determined to be a causal factor in what happened here..."

On June 12, Air India flight AI171 crashed just after taking off from Ahmedabad’s airport, killing 260 souls — 229 passengers, 12 crew, and 19 people on the ground. Both engines stopped working within 90 seconds after takeoff, causing a deadly plunge, according to the AAIB’s initial findings.

This tragedy ranks among India’s deadliest air disasters. Now, desperate families are demanding real answers and justice from both Air India and Boeing. Will the truth finally take flight and bring peace to the grieving? Only time will tell.

Read More at Economictimes →

Tags: Air india crash, Boeing, Compensation, Technical faults, Aircraft investigation, Victims' families,