Mike Andrews, the lead US attorney representing more than 65 families affected by the Air India AI171 crash, has called for complete transparency in the investigation.

Speaking to ANI, Andrews said, “We want to know the truth. These families deserve the respect of knowing exactly what happened to their loved ones.”

According to The Economic Times, Andrews said that if the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) findings show that technical faults caused the crash, he would approach US courts to file a product liability case against Boeing.

“We are formally requesting Air India and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to release the FDR details, which can reveal a lot about the accident,” he said.

Andrews also met the lone survivor of the crash and his family, describing them as humble, hardworking people facing unimaginable pain. He added that investigators are looking at several possible causes, including a malfunction in the throttle control system. One key question, he said, is whether moisture could have affected the system.

The US lawyer criticised the slow pace of compensation, calling it a “bureaucratic process” that he believes would not have happened if the late Ratan Tata were alive.

“Even in the US, we know who Ratan Tata was, his humility and work ethic. If he were here today, we believe victims’ families would not face delays,” Andrews said.

On July 26, Air India released an interim compensation of INR 25 lakh each to the families of 147 passengers and 19 people on the ground. This amount will be adjusted in the final settlement later.

The Tata Group has set up the AI-171 Memorial and Welfare Trust in memory of the victims. The trust has pledged an ex-gratia of INR 1 crore per deceased individual. It will also fund the rebuilding of the damaged BJ Medical College Hostel and provide support to first responders and medical teams.

Following the tragedy, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson addressed frequent flyers via email, saying he understood their concerns about safety. He assured that the airline is increasing checks, inspections, and training to make operations safer.

India’s aviation regulator, DGCA, has issued four show-cause notices to Air India for repeated safety lapses, including crew deployment issues, pilot rest rules, and training gaps. DGCA records show 19 top-level safety observations in the past year across the Air India Group, 10 in Vistara, 7 in Air India, and 2 in Air India Express. Other Indian carriers recorded none in this category.

The DGCA said higher observations are “normal” for bigger airlines but stressed that immediate corrective action is required.