Flight 171: The Crash That Could Rewrite Aviation History

The crash of Air India Flight 171 near Ahmedabad is more than a singular tragedy—it’s a piercing echo of aviation’s long and turbulent history. As families mourn the loss of lives aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the call for truth reverberates across continents. But to truly understand what went wrong, we must look backward—at the ghosts of past disasters, the evolution of aircraft technology, and the systemic failures that continue to haunt the skies.

Echoes of the Past: Lessons Unlearned

From Tenerife in 1977 to the MAX 737 crashes in 2018 and 2019, aviation history is littered with moments where human lives were sacrificed at the altar of systemic oversight. In each case, the initial narrative often pointed to pilot error—only to be later unraveled by deeper investigations revealing flawed automation, regulatory blind spots, or corporate negligence.

• Tenerife (1977): The deadliest aviation accident in history, caused by miscommunication and fog, led to sweeping changes in cockpit resource management.
• Air France 447 (2009): A stall at cruising altitude exposed the dangers of overreliance on automation and inadequate pilot training.
• Lion Air & Ethiopian Airlines (2018–2019): The Boeing 737 MAX disasters revealed how software flaws and regulatory capture can devastate trust in aviation safety.

Flight 171 now joins this grim lineage. Preliminary reports suggest possible electrical faults, perhaps linked to water intrusion—a known issue in Dreamliner systems. But the evidence remains incomplete.

The Fight For Justice

As an attorney who has spent decades representing families devastated by aviation disasters, I’ve seen firsthand how grief is compounded by silence, delay, and denial. Today, I am honored to represent more than 125 families affected by the crash of Flight 171. These families are not just seeking compensation—they are demanding answers, accountability, and change.

I’ve stood beside families impacted by some of the most devastating aviation disasters, including those affected by the Boeing 737 MAX 8’s flawed MCAS system. In each case, it took relentless legal pressure and public outcry to expose the truth. Flight 171 must be no different.

I’ve dedicated my career to complex product liability litigation, with a focus on aviation safety. As the author of Aviation Litigation & Accident Investigation and one of the Top 10 Aviation Attorneys named by the National Trial Lawyers Association, I’ve worked to hold manufacturers, regulators, and airlines accountable when preventable failures lead to catastrophe. My team at Beasley Allen and I are committed to ensuring that the victims of Flight 171 are not forgotten—and that their loss leads to meaningful reform.

A System in Need of Reform

The Supreme Court of India’s decision to demand a thorough investigation marks a pivotal moment. “Nobody can blame the pilot without a thorough investigation,” the Court declared—a stance that challenges decades of reflexive scapegoating. The pilot’s father, himself a retired Air India captain, has called for a judicial probe, arguing that systemic failures—not human error—may be at fault.

This is not just a legal battle. It’s a fight for aviation transparency, where independent investigations are essential to:

• Expose systemic flaws in aircraft design and maintenance.
• Protect pilots from unjust blame.
• Restore public trust in air travel.

A History of Progress—And Complacency

Aviation has come a long way since the Wright brothers. Jet engines, fly-by-wire systems, and real-time diagnostics have made flying safer than ever. Yet, progress breeds complacency. The push for efficiency and profit often sidelines safety. Regulatory bodies, under pressure from manufacturers and airlines, sometimes fail to act until tragedy strikes.

Flight 171 is a wake-up call. It reminds us that safety must never be assumed—it must be earned, every day, through rigorous oversight and a culture of accountability.

As the investigation unfolds, the world watches. Will this be another case of buried truths and delayed justice? Or will it mark a turning point in how we treat aviation disasters—not as isolated events, but as symptoms of deeper systemic issues?

The families deserve answers. The public deserves reform. And aviation, as an industry, must confront its past to secure its future.