Air India 787 crash aircraft had repeated technical faults: US safety group
US-based Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) said records show the Air India aircraft faced technical problems from its first day in service
 "Air India 787 crash aircraft had repeated technical faults: US safety group")
A US-based aviation safety group has claimed that the Air India Boeing 787 aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad in June 2025 had faced several serious technical problems during its time in service, including an incident involving an in-flight fire, BBC reported.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, while flying to London. The crash killed 260 people, making it one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent years.
Claims submitted to US Senate
The allegations have been made by the Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), a campaign group based in the United States. The group has sent a detailed presentation to the US Senate, saying its findings are based on internal documents it has obtained.
While the official investigation into the crash is still underway, an interim report released in July triggered widespread debate and controversy. Boeing has declined to comment on the claims made by the foundation.
Aircraft’s early service history
The aircraft involved, registered as VT-ANB, was among the first Boeing 787s ever built. It made its first flight in late 2013 and joined Air India’s fleet in early 2014.
According to the Foundation for Aviation Safety, records show that the plane began experiencing technical problems from its very first day of service with Air India. The group claims these issues stemmed from “a wide and confusing variety of engineering, manufacturing, quality, and maintenance problems”, the news report said.
The foundation alleges the aircraft suffered frequent electronics and software faults. These included circuit breakers tripping repeatedly, wiring damage, short circuits, power loss and overheating of electrical components.
One of the most serious incidents, according to the group, took place in January 2022, when a fire broke out in the P100 power distribution panel. This panel is one of five units that distribute high-voltage electricity generated by the engines across the aircraft.
The group says pilots received fault alerts while descending into Frankfurt Airport. After landing, the damage was found to be so severe that the entire panel had to be replaced.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety said that its concerns extend beyond this single aircraft, citing around 2,000 failure reports involving other 787s in countries including the US, Canada and Australia. ALSO READ | Air India begins returning belongings of Ahmedabad crash victims: Details
Investigation and pilot focus
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the probe into the Ahmedabad crash, with support from US officials. A preliminary report released last year after the accident included a section that drew intense scrutiny.
The report stated that shortly after take-off, the fuel control switches were moved from “run” to “cut-off”, cutting fuel to the engines. It added, “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut-off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so.”
This led some commentators to suggest pilot error. However, lawyers for victims, pilots’ bodies, safety experts and campaigners have pushed back strongly, saying the focus on pilots may be misplaced and that a technical fault cannot be ruled out.