Air India Plane Crash: Families Sue Boeing and Honeywell, Question Safety Lapses

Families of four passengers who died in the catastrophic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad in June this year have filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Supreme Court in the US against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and Honeywell – the company that designed and installed the switch – holding them responsible for the horrific accident.

This marks the first lawsuit filed in the United States over the crash.

According to the complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that the locking mechanism for the switch on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner could be inadvertently turned off or be missing, leading to a loss of fuel supply and thrust required for takeoff.

The petitioners argued that both Boeing and Honeywell were fully aware of the risks, particularly after the US Federal Aviation Administration in 2018 flagged concerns about disengaged locking mechanisms on several Boeing aircraft.

By placing the switch directly behind the thrust levers, the complaint stated, “Boeing effectively guaranteed that normal cockpit activity could result in inadvertent fuel cutoff.”

The plea further asked: “What did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing!”

Reports said that Boeing, headquartered in Virginia, and Honeywell, based in North Carolina, have not yet responded to the lawsuit.

The complainants were identified as family members of Kantaben Dhirubhai Paghadal, Naavya Chirag Paghadal, Kuberbhai Patel, and Babiben Patel, all among the 229 passengers who died. The families are citizens of India or the United Kingdom.

A preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in July highlighted confusion in the cockpit before the crash. However, Bryan Bedford, a senior FAA official, maintained a “high level of confidence” that a mechanical issue or inadvertent fuel control movement was not to blame.