A bitter dispute over the cause of the Air India Flight 171 crash has intensified, with British aviation experts calling for an independent inquiry. The aircraft, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Tuesday evening, killing all 247 passengers and crew. Initial reports from Indian authorities suggested a catastrophic engine failure, but British investigators have publicly questioned this assessment, citing conflicting data from the flight's black boxes.
Professor James Whitfield, a former senior investigator at the UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, said the evidence pointed to a possible structural failure. "The engine data shows no signs of a catastrophic failure that would have led to an immediate loss of control. The aircraft's flight trajectory and wreckage pattern are more consistent with a sudden structural break-up," he told the BBC. Whitfield's comments have sparked a furious response from Indian officials, who insist the preliminary findings are robust.
Air India has grounded its remaining Dreamliner fleet as a precautionary measure. The airline's CEO, Rajesh Khanna, said the decision was made to ensure passenger confidence but stressed that the aircraft type had an excellent safety record. Boeing has expressed its support for the investigation but declined to comment on the specific claims.
The dispute has escalated diplomatic tensions between London and New Delhi. The British High Commission in India has formally requested access to the flight data recorders for a second analysis, a move that Indian officials have described as an infringement of national sovereignty. Aviation analyst Dr. Sarah Collins of Oxford University said the standoff could undermine global aviation safety protocols. "Without shared confidence in the investigation, we risk a fragmented approach where differing interpretations of data could lead to contradictory safety recommendations," she said.
The crash is the deadliest in India since the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision. Relatives of the victims have appealed for transparency, with family groups demanding that both the UK and Indian governments publish their findings simultaneously. A candlelight vigil was held outside the Air India headquarters in Mumbai last night, as the dispute showed no signs of abating.
