Putting the puzzle together: Attorney Mike Andrews on AI171 crash

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], August 11 : The lead US attorney, Mike Andrews, representing over 65 families affected by the tragic AI171 plane crash here, outlined the complexities of the ongoing litigation and stated that the "challenges initially are putting the puzzle together, finding out what happened."

Speaking to ANI, Andrews said that the challenge lies in determining the cause of the crash and identifying whether or not there is a defect that contributed to the tragedy.

"There are always challenges in litigation. There are many challenges in product liability litigation. Not only do we have to start where we are now in determining what happened, but we also have to determine whether or not there is a defect that caused this," Andrews explained. The investigation will examine potential design or manufacturing issues, as well as maintenance problems, to piece together the events leading up to the crash.

"We need to determine whether the problem stems from design or manufacturing issues, or if it's a maintenance problem. Sometimes it's a combination of the two. So the challenges initially are putting the puzzle together, finding out what happened," he added.

Andrews highlighted the intricacies of the case, stating, "Did a defect render this product unfit for its intended purpose? Was it foreseeable that it was going to be used in this way? Did someone misuse it, and did it fail under its ordinary use?" The investigation will also scrutinise the aircraft's complex electrical and computer systems to determine if any uncommanded or erroneous inputs contributed to the crash.

"So, in this case, the question is whether it is foreseeable that a plane will take off. What happened behind the scenes? This is a very complex, complicated, electrically driven, computer-operated aircraft. What other things could have gone wrong? Did the pilots make the inputs, or did the computer call for an uncommanded, uncontrolled, erroneous input that led to this?" he added.

The lawyer emphasised the importance of analysing alternative designs that could have prevented or mitigated the crash. "Once we make those determinations, we begin to look at things like alternative designs. Are there designs out there that could have prevented this from happening, could have mitigated the injuries, could have made it less likely?"

On June 12, Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India later released the preliminary report into the tragic crash, outlining the harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff. It noted that both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid descent.

The crash represents one of the deadliest aviation accidents in India in recent history.

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