Families of people killed when an Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff in June say they remain without clear answers after a UK coroner found "other remains" in the casket of one victim whose body had been repatriated.
Miten Patel, whose parents Ashok and Shobhana Patel died when the Boeing 787 travelling from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick struck a residential building, said he had received no apology from Indian officials after the discovery and called for accountability. "We have made a mistake, the mistake we trace back to this, and we apologise for it," he said he wanted Indian authorities to say.
The crash killed 242 people. Families say several have reported receiving incorrect remains following repatriation. The sister of passenger Fiongal Greenlaw-Meek, who also died in the accident, has said her family received the wrong body and called it "totally unacceptable" that they do not know why they do not have his remains.
Legal representatives for a group of bereaved relatives described the mislabelling of remains as a "diplomatic incident." James Healy-Pratt, a partner at Keystone Law representing 25 families, said Indian authorities later returned additional remains to London that are now being examined by the coroner.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it had been "in constant dialogue with Air India and the Indian authorities" and that staff continued to support families and loved ones, assigning caseworkers as part of the consular response. Several families, including Mr. Patel and Ms. Greenlaw, said they had not received direct contact from the FCDO and had learned developments through media reporting.
Investigators have released limited technical details. India's Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) published an interim report in July that said switches were moved shortly after takeoff, cutting off fuel supply to the engines and causing power loss. A cockpit voice recording captured one pilot asking another why "did he cut off" and the other replying that he did not, without clarifying who was speaking. The AAIB did not respond to requests for comment ahead of this report and has publicly warned against selective and unverified reporting by some international media.
Families have voiced frustration at what they describe as a lack of regular, direct communication from both Indian accident investigators and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the agency that would normally assist UK relatives. Mr. Patel said he had completed an online form with his contact details but had been contacted by no one from the AAIB and that Air India had not provided information about recovered personal effects or how families could access them.
Indian government statements earlier said identification and handling of remains had been conducted "with utmost professionalism" and dignity, and that authorities would work with UK counterparts to address concerns. Air India said it remained "keenly aware this continues to be a difficult time" and wished to support families "wherever we can." The Indian government was contacted for comment for this article.
The discovery of mixed remains has added to families' distress as the investigation into the cause of the crash continues. Relatives have sought not only technical explanations for what brought the aircraft down but also clarity on the post-crash handling of victims and transparency about the process used to identify and repatriate bodies.
Forensic examination and coroner procedures in the UK are ongoing. Coroners must establish identity and cause of death before formal conclusions can be reached about remains returned to families. Lawyers for the families say additional remains recovered by Indian authorities have been repatriated to London and are undergoing examination.
The AAIB interim report's technical findings, combined with ongoing forensic work, are expected to form part of a wider, multiagency investigation that involves Indian investigators, UK authorities and other international parties with an interest in the aircraft's operation and certification. Families have urged investigators and governments to improve direct communication and provide advance briefings before information is released publicly, saying that media reporting without prior family notification has caused additional distress.
The search for answers continues as bereaved relatives press for explanations of both the circumstances that led to the crash and the subsequent handling of victims' remains. Advocacy by family groups and legal representatives is likely to shape diplomatic and investigative engagement between the United Kingdom and India in the coming weeks.
