Aviation safety campaigners in the United States say they have evidence a plane that crashed in India last year had previously suffered a series of technical failures, including an in-flight fire.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed on 12 June, shortly after taking off from Ahmedabad en route to London, killing 260 people.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety, a US campaign group, has sent a presentation to the US Senate outlining its findings, which it claims are based on documents that have come into its possession.
The official investigation into the accident is ongoing. However, an interim report published in July sparked widespread speculation and controversy. Boeing declined to comment.
The aircraft involved in the accident, registered as VT-ANB, was one of the earliest 787s to be built. It first flew in late 2013 and entered service with Air India in early 2014.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety states that documents reflect the plane experienced system failures from its very first day in service with Air India, ranging from electronics and software faults to serious overheating issues.
In January 2022, there was a fire in the P100 power distribution panel when fault messages were triggered during descent into Frankfurt Airport. The damage was so severe that the entire panel had to be replaced.
The aircraft’s reliance on advanced electrical systems has been flagged as problematic, following multiple earlier incidents, including a major battery fire in 2013 that led to the temporary grounding of the 787 fleet.
The Foundation’s report has been sent to the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which previously held hearings into "Boeing's broken safety culture". As investigations continue, the AAIB, along with American officials, are rigorously examining these alarming findings amid rising safety concerns regarding the Boeing 787 series.
