Victim’s relative ‘can’t be at peace’ until root cause known

The granddaughter of a victim of the Air India Flight 171 crash has said a preliminary report into the incident was “incomplete” and that she “can’t be at peace” without those responsible being held accountable.

“It does bring us a little bit closer to understanding what happened,” Ria Patel told BBC’s Newshour, but added: “I want to be able to have closure.”

She is one of several voices in the UK to stress the need for answers over root causes of the crash, which occurred shortly after take-off in Ahmendabad on 12 June.

A preliminary report, released on Friday, found fuel to the engines of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was cut moments after take-off. The investigation is ongoing.

Manju Mahesh Patel, 79, was one of the 260 people killed – most of whom were passengers – when the London-bound plane fell into a densely populated neighbourhood in the western Indian city.

Her granddaughter found reading the report “quite heartbreaking”, as there were images from the immediate aftermath of the crash – including the wreckage – that were difficult to process.

“For me, I can’t sort of stop thinking about what my grandma’s final moments must have looked like,” she said from her home in Buckinghamshire.

Ms Patel’s grandmother had been staying in Ahmedabad for the prior few months, carrying out charity work at a temple. Manju’s son had been due pick her up at Gatwick that night, and she was said to be looking forward to seeing her four grandchildren in the UK.

“This was the chance to reconnect with her after 10 years,” Ms Patel said. “Knowing that we won’t be able to see her again, it is really tough.”

Data gathered from inside the plane suggests both of its fuel control switches moved from the “run” to the “cut-off” position in the space of a second shortly after take-off.

These switches are typically only turned off when a plane has landed and made it to the gate, or during emergency situations. India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) did not specify whether an emergency situation had taken place on board in its preliminary report.

The cut-off then caused both engines to lose thrust, the AAIB report found.

For Ms Patel, the preliminary report still points to several theories and its findings are incomplete.

But she stressed how “extremely important” it was for her and others to find out what the underlying cause of the crash was.

“I feel like I can’t really be at peace with what’s happened, unless I understand where the accountability lies.”

Sameer Rafik, a cousin of crash victim Faizan Rafik, is similarly calling for more details to be brought forward.

“The Indian Government should release the cockpit audio for the families who lost loved ones,” he said. Only after that “we will then know what happened”, he told the BBC.

There were 53 UK nationals on board the Air India flight when it crashed.

Miten Patel, whose parents were on the plane to return to their home in Kent, said the report was only the start of a painful journey.

“There’s a lot of anger, there’s a lot of frustration,” he told the BBC from his home in South London. “But we need to know the cause.”

Patel, who now wears the same ring his father Ashok was wearing on the day of the crash, urged patience. “It is going to be tough, but we need to be sure it’s done correctly.”

Dr Mario Donadi, a friend of another victim killed in the Air India crash, described the initial findings a “huge slap in the face” on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

His “dear colleague”, Dr Prateek Joshi, had been travelling back to the UK with his family. He took a picture of himself, his wife and three kids mere moments before take-off.

“How [can] something so trivial [as] a simple switch being deactivated lead to such a loss of life, of such huge dreams?” Dr Donadi asked.

Ms Patel said she recognised that knowing what happened will not change the outcome of what occurred. “My grandma still isn’t here.”

But she argued that “clear actions” needed to be taken for relatives of the victims “to feel a sense of justice – because so many lives have been lost”.

The AAIB investigation is expected to produce a more detailed report in 12 months.

A UK Department for Transport spokesperson told the BBC that the government would review the preliminary report in detail and “consider if any action is required”.

Ms Patel said the loss of her grandmother had left a noticeable “gap” in her life, as she used to call her every weekend.

“She will be sorely missed. She was an amazing woman.”