Manmade Disaster? Air India’s Boeing Dreamliner That Crashed In Ahmedabad Was A Flying Coffin – And Everyone Knew It

Its history has been marred by serious technical flaws. Whistleblowers had warned of this before crash.

Debris of the Air India flight AI-171, from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, that crashed immediately after takeoff with 242 passengers onboard in Ahmedabad on June 12. (Photo: ANI)

New Delhi: It began as a routine takeoff. But just moments after liftoff from Ahmedabad airport, Air India Flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, plunged into the BJ Medical College and Hospital complex in a ball of fire, killing all 242 onboard and 23 more on the ground. Among the ground victims were medical students, patients, doctors’ family members and locals. The death toll now stands at 265.

The smoke from the inferno could be seen for miles, with emergency teams rushing to the site in Dharpur near the Meghaninagar area. What followed was not just a rescue operation. It was the opening act of a far bigger story – one that links the crash to longstanding safety concerns about Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner model.

Just hours after the crash, a man named Aakash Vats posted a video on X (formerly Twitter), claiming he flew on the same aircraft earlier in the day from Delhi to Ahmedabad. He complained that the in-flight entertainment touch screen was not working and the air conditioning was malfunctioning. He described the cabin as poorly maintained. His footage is now viral, with many asking if the crash was a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Warnings Ignored?

The ill-fated aircraft was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner – a jet once marketed as a revolution in air travel. First delivered in 2011, the Dreamliner promised longer, quieter and more fuel-efficient flights. But its history has been marred by serious technical flaws.

In 2013, Dreamliners operated by the Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways caught fire due to overheating lithium-ion batteries. The entire global fleet was grounded.

Whistleblower John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control engineer, warned about substandard parts and faulty oxygen systems. He was found dead in March 2024 in what many suspect was not suicide.

In April 2024, another Boeing engineer, Sam Salehpour, testified before the US Senate, alleging massive structural shortcuts in the 787’s construction. He claimed over 1,000 planes had stress-prone joints and hidden debris.

Aviation experts say Flight AI-171 may have suffered a critical failure moments after takeoff. While investigations are ongoing, several alarming possibilities are being discussed – the aircraft might not have had sufficient thrust to climb due to engine or software malfunctions and structural weaknesses during ascent may have led to mid-air breakup or loss of control.

Even the aircraft’s software has come under scrutiny. In 2015 and again in 2020, bugs in the generator control software were discovered. Left unchecked, they could cause systems to fail mid-air unless the aircraft was rebooted every 51 days.

Since 2020, Boeing has been under the radar of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In early 2024, the agency opened new investigations into the company’s inspection protocols. Some Boeing staff were found to have falsified safety records. Though Boeing promised internal audits and better oversight, the incident in Ahmedabad may now fast-track regulatory crackdowns.

The Air India has grounded its remaining Dreamliners pending inspection. As global aviation regulators watch closely, this crash might finally trigger long-demanded reforms in aircraft manufacturing standards.

For now, families mourn, questions mount and one of Boeing’s most ambitious aircraft sits in the eye of yet another storm.