A damning new report from the US-based Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) has alleged that the Air India Boeing 787-8 (registered as VT-ANB) that crashed in Ahmedabad in June 2025 suffered from a history of critical defects and “latent failures” throughout its 11-year service life.
The submission, presented to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations on January 12, 2026, directly challenges the preliminary findings of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which had highlighted potential pilot involvement in the engine shutdown.
Key Findings: “A Decade of Defects”
The FAS report, led by former Boeing manager and whistleblower Ed Pierson, claims that the aircraft was plagued with manufacturing and engineering issues from the day it entered service in February 2014.
- The January 2022 Fire: One of the most serious allegations involves a fire in the P100 primary power panel while the aircraft was descending into Frankfurt. The damage was reportedly so extensive that the entire high-voltage distribution panel had to be replaced.
- Electrical Instability: The group cited over 2,000 systems failure reports related to the 787 fleet, noting that VT-ANB specifically logged repeated circuit breaker trips, wiring damage, and overheating of electronic components.
- Fuel Switch Flaw: FAS flagged a 2018 FAA advisory regarding a locking mechanism defect in the fuel control switches. The report notes that Air India had not made inspections mandatory for this advisory, despite the locking feature being critical to preventing accidental engine cut-offs.
Timeline of the Ahmedabad Disaster (AI171)
The crash remains the deadliest aviation accident involving a Boeing 787 since the model’s inception.
- Date: June 12, 2025.
- Casualties: 260 total fatalities (241 on board, 19 on the ground).
- The Final 32 Seconds: After taking off for London Gatwick, the aircraft lost both engines simultaneously. Preliminary AAIB data showed the fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” just seconds after lift-off.+1
- The “Blame the Pilot” Controversy: While cockpit recordings captured the captain asking the first officer why he cut the fuel—and the first officer denying he did—FAS argues this mirrors the early 737 MAX investigations where Boeing allegedly tried to shift blame onto pilots to hide mechanical failures.
Global Implications
The FAS warned the US Senate that these electrical and manufacturing defects are not unique to the Ahmedabad aircraft. Similar failures have been observed in 787s operated in:
- The United States
- Canada
- Australia
The group has called for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate potential criminal concealment of safety data by Boeing and has urged the FAA to mandate immediate inspections of the global 787 fleet.
In Other News: Leadership Shake-up at Zomato (Eternal Ltd)
While aviation safety dominates global headlines, India’s tech sector saw a major shift on January 21, 2026.
- Deepinder Goyal Resigns: The founder of Zomato has stepped down as CEO of the parent company, Eternal Limited, effective February 1, 2026. He will move into a non-executive role as Vice Chairman.
- New Successor: Albinder Dhindsa, the current CEO of Blinkit, has been named the new Group CEO of Eternal Ltd.