Ahmedabad/London, April 11 Families of British nationals, who died in the last year's Air India Flight-171 crash, approached the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which has told them it does not have the authority to carry out a technical review of the incident as relatives continue to seek answers.
In a letter dated April 9 accessed by IANS, the AAIB said its role in the Indian-led inquiry is limited despite the deaths of UK citizens.
The response came after nearly 10 families approached the AAIB, with Principal Inspector Geraint Herbert confirming that the UK is participating only as an "Expert" under international rules.
"This status reflects the fact that there were UK citizens who lost their lives in the accident and is in accordance with the internationally agreed standards set out in Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation," the letter said.
It also added, "As an Expert to the investigation, I and my team were entitled to visit the site of the accident. We are also entitled to have access to factual information approved for public release by Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in India and to receive a copy of the final report. As an Expert, I have no entitlement to information on the technical aspects of the investigation, which means that the UK has no right to carry out the technical review you seek."
The AAIB said that preliminary findings should not be treated as conclusive.
"Preliminary reports are always subject to the caveat that the content may change following further investigation," the letter said, adding that families should avoid drawing conclusions from early reports or media coverage.
It confirmed that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is fully involved in the technical investigation as the representative of the aircraft's state of design and manufacture, alongside its adviser, Boeing.
"The NTSB and its Advisor, Boeing, will have analysed the technical information available to them and their analysis would have been fed into the AAIB India investigation," the letter said, noting that concerns raised by families "may be addressed in the final report".
The AAIB also acknowledged uncertainty over the timeline for the final findings.
"I asked AAIB India recently if there was an update on when the report might be published but they did not give a date," Principal Inspector Herbert wrote.
"These reports take a long time to produce because accident investigation authorities wish to be thorough... and it is difficult for investigators to give a publication date well in advance," the letter added.
The letter also referred to earlier communication sent to families after the preliminary report, offering a plain-language explanation and inviting relatives to consent to receive updates where permitted.
Speaking to IANS, social activist Kuldip Ishrani (Kaviraj), who is in contact with nearly 200 families of victims of the AI-171 crash, said: "The AAIB is understood to have issued similar responses to nearly five families."
The correspondence comes as relatives of victims intensify efforts to seek answers.
In Ahmedabad, families of some victims have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu and others, saying they are still "seeking the truth" and seeking the release of black box data.
The crash occurred on June 12 when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick Airport crashed shortly after take-off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (SVPIA), killing 260 people, including 53 british nationals, and 19 people on the ground.
A preliminary report released a month after the incident said that fuel to the aircraft's engines was cut off shortly after take-off, causing a loss of thrust.
- IANS
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