The Air India plane which crashed in Ahmedabad last June had a record of technical and electrical failures, aviation safety campaigners in the US claimed.
The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 people on board crashed moments after taking off on 12 June, erupting in a fireball after hitting a medical college hostel.
All but one of those on board were killed. Another 19 people were killed on the ground when the plane crashed onto a medical college hostel during lunch hour.
The ill-fated aircraft, one of the earliest 787s, entered service with the Indian airline in early 2014 and went on to suffer a series of system failures, including an electrical fire in 2022 which led to the replacement of core system components, the Foundation for Aviation Safety alleged.
The campaign group submitted the whistleblower report to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on 12 January, claiming records showed the Boeing plane suffered problems on “the very first day it arrived in India” on 1 Feb 2014.
The group alleged that the issues were caused by "a wide and confusing variety of engineering, manufacturing, quality, and maintenance problems throughout its 11-year life”.
The failures ranged from electronics and software glitches to repeated tripping of circuit breakers and short circuits, leading to power losses and overheating across critical system components.
In January 2022, the foundation said, a fire in the aircraft's P100 power distribution panel resulted in “extensive burning around the L2 Bus Tie Breaker and surrounding wiring”. The P100 received power from the left engine and distributed it to various vital aircraft systems. The damage was so severe the entire power panel had to be replaced.
In April that year, the aircraft was again grounded due to “confusing faults” involving the landing-gear indication system, according to the campaigners. “Air India replaced a proximity sensing data concentrator module of the plane, the left Common Core System remote data concentrator in the aft electronics bay, and a Remote Power Distribution Unit power module,” the report said.
Ed Pierson, executive director of the advocacy group, linked the Boeing aircraft's history to early manufacturing quality concerns about the 787 programme.
The group said its concerns about the 787 went beyond the plane involved in the Air India crash, adding that it had also reviewed 2,000 failure reports involving hundreds of other aircraft in the US, Canada, and Australia.
The crashed jet was only the 26th 787 built, Mr Pierson, a former Boeing senior manager, told The Free Press Journal.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the inquiry into the crash with assistance from the US National Transportation Safety Board, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, and Boeing.
The bureau published a preliminary investigation report in July, as mandated by law, which triggered speculation that the accident was caused by pilot error. It contained excerpts from a conversation between the two pilots captured by the cockpit voice recorder indicating that both engine fuel control switches had moved from “run” to “cutoff” seconds after take-off, leading to an immediate loss of thrust.
One pilot was heard asking about the fuel cutoff and the other replying that he hadn’t flipped off the switches. Although a backup power system deployed automatically and one of the two engines began to recover, the aircraft was unable to regain altitude and crashed moments later.
Boeing president and CEO Kelly Ortberg said in June 2025 soon after the incident: “Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew on board Air India Flight 171, as well as everyone affected in Ahmedabad. I have spoken with Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran to offer our full support, and a Boeing team stands ready to support the investigation led by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.”
On Thursday, Boeing deferred queries about the crash to the AAIB when The Independent reached out for a comment.
In its August 2025 official update about crashed Flight 171, Air India said: “The safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our foremost priority. Following the tragic accident involving AI171 in June, we have undertaken a series of proactive measures and conducted comprehensive checks ensuring that every flight continues to meet the highest global standards of safety and customer service.”
The measures included fleet inspections, safety pause and operational enhancements, safety protocols and training, and phased resumption of international flights, among others.
The Independent has reached out to Air India for a comment.
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