The families of four victims, who died in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in June, have launched a legal battle in the US’s Delaware Superior Court against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell. This lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, seeks justice for the lives lost in one of India’s deadliest air disasters, even as it raises questions about the circumstances of the crash as investigations continue to determine its cause.
The lawsuit claims that a defective fuel cutoff switch, designed and supplied by Honeywell and installed in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was responsible for the sudden loss of engine thrust seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
The plaintiffs, who are citizens of India and the UK, are family members of Kantaben Dhirubhai Paghadal, Naavya Chirag Paghadal, Kuberbhai Patel, and Babiben Patel. The suit is being handled by the Lanier Law Firm, based in Texas.
The flight, bound for London Gatwick, carried 229 passengers and 12 crew members, with only one survivor. Additionally, 19 people on the ground were killed when the plane crashed shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad airport.
‘INADVERTENT FUEL CUTOFF’ BLAMED FOR CRASH
The families argued that a locking mechanism on the fuel cutoff switch—positioned directly behind the aircraft’s thrust levers—was either prone to disengagement or missing altogether.
The locking mechanism on the fuel cutoff switch is designed to prevent accidental movement by securing the switch firmly in place behind the thrust levers.
According to the lawsuit, this design “effectively guaranteed that normal cockpit activity could result in inadvertent fuel cutoff”, a scenario that plaintiffs say Boeing and Honeywell knew was possible and dangerous.
“What did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing,” the filing states, citing a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that warned operators to inspect the locking mechanisms on certain Boeing aircraft, including the 787-8 Dreamliner.
As reported by the BBC, the FAA advisory recommended—but did not require—airlines to ensure that the switches couldn’t be accidentally moved.
The families also allege that Air India never performed those inspections on the aircraft that crashed.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, BOEING FACES FRESH LEGAL SCRUTINY
While India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has not yet released a final report, its preliminary findings released in July noted fuel flow to the engines was cut off shortly after takeoff. A cockpit voice recording reportedly captured pilot’s confusion in the final moments of the flight.
In July, Bryan Bedford, the administrator of the US FAA, said he had a “high level of confidence” that neither a mechanical malfunction nor an unintended movement of the fuel control system was responsible. Aviation safety experts also told the news agency Reuters that the fuel cutoff switches could not be accidentally flipped based on their location and design.
Both Boeing and Honeywell have declined to comment publicly on the lawsuit, though Boeing has pointed to the AAIB’s ongoing investigation, as reported by the BBC.
Boeing’s stock dipped by 0.2% following the news of the lawsuit, while Honeywell’s shares initially dropped but rebounded to end the day 0.3% higher, according to news agency Reuters.
Boeing has grappled with multiple high-profile legal battles in recent years, incurring over $20 billion in settlements, compensation, and related expenses after two fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX aircraft in 2018 and 2019. Those tragedies, which claimed a total of 346 lives, led regulators worldwide to ground the model for nearly two years.
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