Air India crash plane had history of safety defects: Campaigners
What's the story
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in India last year had a history of technical failures, including a fire incident, according to aviation safety campaigners in the United States. The plane en route to London crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. The Foundation for Aviation Safety, a US-based group, has submitted its findings to the US Senate based on documents it claims to have obtained.
Technical failures
Foundation for Aviation Safety's claims about VT-ANB
The aircraft, registered as VT-ANB, was among the first 787s manufactured. It had its maiden flight in late 2013 and began service with Air India in early 2014. The Foundation for Aviation Safety alleges that the plane suffered system failures from day one due to "a wide and confusing variety of engineering, manufacturing, quality and maintenance problems."
Technical issues
Report details various technical issues
The report lists several technical issues, including electronic and software glitches, circuit breakers tripping repeatedly, damaged wiring, short circuits, loss of electrical current, and overheating of power system components. In January 2022, a fire broke out in the P100 power distribution panel due to these problems. The damage was so severe that it necessitated a complete panel replacement.
Design flaws
787 Dreamliner's design and safety concerns
The 787 Dreamliner relies heavily on electrical systems, replacing many mechanical parts with lighter electrical ones for efficiency. This design choice has led to problems in the past, including a major battery fire on a Japan Airlines plane in 2013 that temporarily grounded the entire fleet. The P100 panel was redesigned after a similar fire incident in 2010 on a test aircraft.
Investigation
Ongoing investigation and controversy surrounding Air India crash
The official investigation into the Ahmedabad crash is being conducted by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), with American officials involved as well. A preliminary report released by the AAIB a month after the accident had earlier sparked controversy. The report stated that moments after takeoff, fuel control switches had been moved from "run" to "cutoff," depriving engines of fuel and causing rapid loss of thrust.
Report
Alleged cockpit voice recording sparks backlash
The report said, "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking...why did he cut-off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so." This seemed to suggest that the accident had been caused by one of the pilots, either deliberately or unintentionally. However, there has been a pushback. Lawyers representing the accident victims, safety advocates, and others believe that focusing on the pilots is misleading and has diverted attention away from a possible technical issue.
Safety concerns
Foundation for Aviation Safety's concerns about 787 aircraft
The Foundation for Aviation Safety, led by Ed Pierson, a former Boeing manager, has raised concerns about the 787 beyond the Air India crash. It has examined around 2,000 failure reports on other aircraft in the US, Canada and Australia. These include water leaks into wiring bays that have been noted by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Authority.