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“Documents from FAA and Boeing indicate defects in coupling systems in parts of water supply and water tanks near electrical equipment rooms,” Mike Andrews tells CNN-News18
Mike Andrews, attorney with the law firm Beasley Allen, met the families of the Ahmedabad Air India crash victims. (News18/File)
Mike Andrews, attorney with the law firm Beasley Allen, who is representing 85 families of the Ahmedabad Air India crash, told CNN-News18 exclusively that documents from Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration suggest multiple redundant systems on this aircraft (Boeing 787), specifically with respect to water leakages in areas above and adjacent to electrical equipment that could affect electrical continuity.
“Documents available from FAA – the U.S. federal agency that regulates civil aviation – and Boeing indicate that there are defects in the coupling systems in parts of water supply and water tanks above, around and adjacent to electrical equipment rooms…reports speak of water leaking in the areas that can affect electrical continuity and cause short circuits,” Andrews said in an interview to CNN-News18.
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Asked if he will be suing Boeing in a US court, Andrews said what happened here is traced back to manufacturing or design defects. “If we can determine that it is a causative factor here, we will be certainly looking at holding those issues responsible,” he said during the interaction.
On access to data from Air India and Boeing
Asked whether he has access to data from Air India and Boeing, the attorney said, “We have not been given access to flight data recorder yet. We have been able to locate copies from Boeing and FAA which refer to previous issues with 787…We don’t know yet what caused the issues here. This aircraft has multiple redundant systems in both engines and throughout the plane.”
Talking of accessing data, he added that in terms of Air India, he would be looking at maintenance records, information regarding any replacement of parts, any information on replacement of couplings in water lines or water systems.
He further said that the most important evidence to investigate this crash would be the flight data recorder. “Beyond that service bulletins from Boeing, maintenance records from Air India, records from the FAA regarding prior incidents of the 787 are crucial evidence that will allow us to put the puzzle back together.”
Asked whether he was satisfied with the AAIB India’s preliminary investigation report, Andrews said, they have publicly called for release of data by the AAIB. “We are looking into the final data. We think AAIB’s preliminary report is open to speculations as only small piece of information was released. Whenever context is derived from small piece of information it can be misinterpreted,” he added.
On the pilots being blamed for the AI171 crash, Andrews added that it appears to be a low-hanging fruit. “It is easy to blame a deceased pilot who cannot speak for himself. But here we feel there is a broader issue going on so blaming pilots is premature and speculated.”
What the families want
Andrews is representing 85 families of the crash victims and was recently in Ahmedabad, where the flight AI171 met its tragic fate. He met family members to know their concerns and also held a meeting with the lone survivor of the crash.
“Each family has asked us for transparency and accountability…they want to know what happened, why it happened and how to prevent this from ever happening again. There were earlier some issues with the administrative set up of the compensation package but that appears to have improved, however, there are families that are running into bureaucratic type issues in receiving compensation, having to go through multiple steps and paper works,” he said.
“Our focus has been on helping them understand the process going forward and what information we need to have,” Andrews added.
About the Author
Anvit Srivastava, Principal Correspondent at CNN-News18, covers crime, security, policing and society in Delhi. His impactful ground reports have helped him make his mark among the select credited journalists i…Read More
Anvit Srivastava, Principal Correspondent at CNN-News18, covers crime, security, policing and society in Delhi. His impactful ground reports have helped him make his mark among the select credited journalists i… Read More
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