In June, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787 traveling from Ahmedabad to London, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in the tragic loss of 260 lives.
The families of four passengers who died in the accident have filed a lawsuit in the United States against Boeing and Honeywell, the manufacturer of the fuel control switches, claiming that design flaws in the switches caused the crash.
The case, which will be heard in the Delaware Superior Court, alleges that the companies were aware of the risks but failed to take necessary precautions. A preliminary crash report indicated that fuel flow to the engines was cut off after takeoff, with the control switches identified as a key focus of the investigation.
Although the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had previously declared these systems safe, a 2018 advisory recommended regular inspections of the fuel switches. The families’ lawsuit is seen as a critical step in holding those responsible accountable and in helping to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
