The heartbroken loved ones of some of the British 52 victims of the Air India Flight 171 have shared their realities one year on from the crash and their fight for more information continues18:52, 11 Jun 2026British mother who lost husband and mother-in-law on Air India Flight 171 shares her devastation and fight for "justice"A British mother who lost her husband and mother-in-law on Air India Flight 171 told of her devastation and fight for "justice" nearly a year after the deadly plane crash.‌Fifty three Britons were among the 242 passengers who tragically died when the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner smashed into a hostel just 32 seconds after takeoff, on June 21, 2025. Loved ones shared their concerns over the lack of transparency with the Indian Air Accidents Investigation Branch's investigation into the air disaster, claiming they have been 'kept in the dark'.‌Mum-of-two Bhavika Patel, 38, who lost her husband and mother-in-law in the deadly crash, told the Mirror that Air India "took everything in a second", saying: "I just want justice." Bhavika said a year on she wants to know "what actually happened that day" and how the plane crash "happened just after takeoff".‌Bhavika owned a shop, in Kensington, London, with her husband Ketankumar Patel, 42, but has now been left to run her business and raise her two young children, aged eight and 11, alone. She said her husband, who died a day after his birthday, moved to the UK in 2005 and "worked hard" for their family, buying a new home five years ago, but she has now been left widowed.She told the Mirror "even now I can't believe my husband is gone" and said sees him in her dreams at night and hears him say: "I am here, I am with you."‌The working mother said she was given £21,000 in compensation but said the money is finished now, adding that she has to pay for "our kids doing extra classes" and needed "a little bit of help so I can rest". She claimed that aside from the compensation she had not had more help from Air India.She also claimed she has not been able to retrieve her loved one's belongings, like mobile phones, an Apple Watch and luggage as they were "put on the website" along those of other victims "but we can't identify them properly".‌Bhavika revealed how nearly 12 months after the disaster she has struggled with her own health and business, adding that her mother-in-law, Savitaben Patel, who Bhavika said treated her like a "daughter, not a daughter-in-law", would regularly visit the UK and help look after her kids and cook while the couple ran their shop.The 38-year-old said "no one in my family is left", adding that her eight-year-old son was going through counselling sessions at school due to the crash and she was worried about her daughter starting secondary school later this year. The mother said her son now "can't stay home alone", revealing how the deaths have impacted her day-to-day life. She said: "I can't stay in both sides... I have to leave my business or leave two kids alone."‌On the shock of the crash, she said: "This was unbelievable. And, still I am waiting for my husband and my mother-in-law as well. I was thinking everyday they are still in the hospital and one day they are coming." She slammed the airline and said: "They don't care what's happening in people's lives, they don't care."Bhavika even suggested more extreme action be taken against the airline and said: "I would suggest banning Air India flights." The mother added she would be flying to India, with her kids, for the anniversary and one-year religious rituals and ceremonies that are carried out in the Hindu faith. Bhavika told the Mirror that even her young son has been left scared by the crash and told her, "Mama do another plane don't do Air India".‌She shared her fears that Indian authorities could pin the tragedy on the two pilots, after a preliminary report from India's AAIB, from July, said both engines lost thrust because the fuel-control switches were moved from "run" to "cut off". In the cockpit one pilot was heard asking the other why he "did the cut-off", but the other responded that he had not.The mum called on investigators in India to release black box information as she shared her fears the blame could be placed "on the pilots". She said: "At the end of the year they're going to put everything blame on the pilot. We know, everyone knows. That one is not true, never."‌Bhavika heartbreakingly added that before her husband's death, he promised their kids a trip to Disneyland adding her kids say, "Mummy, dad promised us he will take us to Disneyland" but she said "I can't go anywhere without him, I miss him." The families of other British victims also shared their heartbreaking accounts the tragedy a year after the tragic deaths.Sagar Patel, from South London, lost his mum Hasumatiben Patel, 62, in the disaster. He slammed Air India and the Indian AAIB, saying: "It is easy to write in a report this happened but how can we believe what's on there? We haven't seen the evidence."‌Although the preliminary report was released last year, under international rules set by the UN aviation body ICAO, a final report should ideally be finished 12 months after a disaster.The Brit claimed Air India and Tata Group, the airline's owners, would take weeks to respond to his questions about the investigation but would then only send a generic response. He pleaded with the airline to "at least keep the families involved". He also shared his concerns that the investigation could supposedly try to pin blame on the pilots "just to protect their reputation". He called on the UK AAIB to get involved with the investigation, adding: "I would hope that someone would actually help fight our case."‌Sagar shared the heartache the tragedy inflicted on his family and how even her death he was not able to grieve easily. He added that his mother's funeral had to be closed-casket due to the injuries. He said: "With a funeral you get an open coffin and you get your closure. We didn't get that."He told the Mirror his young daughter still walks into his mother's bedroom looking for her grandmother, and he said: "Home doesn't feel like home without her." Sagar added: "There isn't a day I don't think about it."‌Shoeb Iproliya, a carer who works with the NHS, lost his 28-year-old wife Nusratjahan Yusufbhai Jethara in the tragedy. He said: "I don't want any money, I don't want any compensation. I want the truth. What is the truth? I want the black box data from the flight because now they are going to put the blame on the pilot."The man, who said he was let go from work because he was not "mentally strong" after the disaster, called on British authorities to step in. He said: "I am not blaming the UK government but they have to do something."‌Romin Vahora, whose brother, Parvezbhai Hasanbhai Vahora, and his three-year-old daughter, Zuveriyaben Parvezbhai Vahora, died, called for an independent investigation after claiming there was "suspicious damage" on his brother's phone, which was retrieved from the crash.He claimed his brother's iPhone was returned destroyed, so he refused to accept it until it was repaired, but he hasn't heard back from Air India since. The brother emphasised that the family needed the phone to retrieve important information like financial documents.‌Romin added that his brother's wife was eight months pregnant at the time and has been forced to fly back to India after his death because she cannot afford to live in the UK with her young children and without her husband.An aviation safety advocate slammed the preliminary report put out by the Indian AAIB as "woefully inadequate" and "incredibly slanted". Ed Pierson, the Executive Director for The Foundation for Aviation Safety, told the Mirror: "When we saw the preliminary report we were horrified because we felt it was like one of the worst reports we've ever seen in our lives and it has so much information that was glaringly missing and selective releasing of information. We call it bread crumbing where they just you know point out a couple things."‌Pierson claimed the report "certainly implicated the pilots" and said one of the things his organisation found "odd" about the report was "It didn't share with what the pilots were actually seeing and looking at". The safety advocate added he had other concerns relating to some Air India flights such a flight that was forced to turn back after a burning smell was reported in the cabin, on June 27, 2025. The airline later said this was due to a "technical issue".He also claimed his organisation sent evidence and their own investigation into the tragic air crash to the Indian AAIB but claimed there was "absolutely zero interest in taking this information in."‌Case manager at Chionuma Law, which is representing the families of more than 110 victims, Ayush S Rajpal said it requested "full transparency" in the investigation. He told the Mirror: "The raw FDR data should be shared in the open domain so that experts worldwide can review it." He added: "A clear, independent, and root-level analysis is required to find the true cause and help prevent such incidents in the future."A spokesperson for the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch said: "This was a deeply shocking and tragic accident and our thoughts remain with all those who have been affected or lost loved ones. In accordance with international protocols, release of information on the investigation rests solely with the Indian authorities."Our focus is on acting as the conduit for information about the investigation to the UK families when it becomes available from the Indian AAIB. UK AAIB remains engaged with the Indian AAIB but it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment on the progress of their investigation. We must give them the time and space to complete their work."Article continues belowAir India told the Mirror it would not be able to make an official comment. The Indian AAIB did not respond to the Mirror's request for comment.