Two Months On, Family of Air India Crash Victim Sues Boeing in US Court

Two months after the devastating Air India flight AI-171 crash, a grieving son has taken the fight for justice beyond Indian shores. Hir Prajapati, whose mother, Kalpana Ben Prajapati, was among the 260 people killed in the June 12 disaster, has lodged a lawsuit against aircraft manufacturer Boeing in a US federal court.

Prajapati believes the American legal system will deliver answers more swiftly than Indian courts. “Here, cases can stretch on for years. We want the truth and a verdict sooner,” he said, adding that the family has hired well-known US aviation lawyer Mike Andrews to represent them. One of their immediate demands is access to unfiltered black box data to guide the next steps in the case.

Despite his legal frustrations, Prajapati expressed deep gratitude for the help his family received after the crash. “The government, police, and doctors were all supportive. DNA tests were completed quickly, and we were able to bring my mother’s remains home without delay,” he recalled.

He further revealed that his mother’s travel plans were altered three times before she boarded the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. “I booked her ticket for June 9, but she was fasting that day. Then we moved it to June 11, but she didn’t want to travel on an odd date. Finally, we settled on June 12,” he said.

On Monday night, families of the victims came together for a candlelight vigil to mark two months since the tragedy. Andrews, who is representing over 65 affected families, attended the memorial. “This is a difficult milestone. The families are still searching for answers and accountability,” he said.

The doomed Air India flight, which had taken off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, crashed minutes after departure, killing all passengers and crew on board, along with 19 people on the ground.

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