“We have been emailing and visiting different government offices in Ahmedabad for permission. Today, the police station in-charge of Meghani Nagar informed us that the area is under the Indian AAIB, and the permission should be requested from your office,” stated Bhavesh Hirpara, who lost his parents in the plane crash, as a representative of the “family members of the victims”.
Hirpara sent this email earlier this week to the AAIB. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) did not immediately respond to Business Standard’s request for comment on the matter.
Air India’s AI171 flight, which was headed to London on June 12 last year, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport, killing 241 people on board and 19 on the ground, with only one survivor. The crash site is inside BJ Medical College, near a residential area in Meghani Nagar in the city.
Hirpara said: “We kindly request your permission to visit the AI171 crash site in Meghani Nagar, Ahmedabad, on June 12, 2026, from 5.15 pm to 6 pm, to pay tribute to our loved ones.”
He said around 150 family members and relatives were expected to attend. “We only wish to stand outside the crash site, observe silence, light candles, and pray for our loved ones. We do not wish to enter inside the crash site.”
Hirpara said it would be a “peaceful and respectful” tribute and that the victims’ families would fully follow all instructions issued by the AAIB, the police department, and other authorities.
“We kindly request you to grant us permission. If this matter is under any other authority, please guide us to the correct person or office,” he added.
The preliminary report on the crash was released by the AAIB on July 12 last year. The report stated that both engine fuel control switches on the Boeing 787-8 aircraft “transitioned” from the “RUN” position to “CUTOFF” just three seconds after take-off, leading to a sudden dual-engine power loss. The switches are crucial components located on the throttle quadrant that allow or stop fuel supply to the engines. Moving them to “CUTOFF” stops fuel flow entirely.
The preliminary report mentioned part of a conversation between the two pilots, with one pilot asking the other why the fuel had been cut off, to which the other replied that he had not done it. The final report on the crash is yet to be released by the AAIB.
