LONDON- Air India (AI) Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad (AMD) on June 12, killing 260 people, including 52 British citizens, with only one survivor. The incident marked the first fatal accident for the Dreamliner model since its introduction in 2011.
Attorney Mike Andrews, representing families of over 100 victims, rejects the preliminary report’s implication of pilot error or self-sabotage, arguing instead for a focus on technical flaws in the aircraft’s potable water system that may have caused critical electrical failures.
Photo: PM Narendra Modi X HandleAir India Crash New Theory
Mike Andrews, the lawyer for families of more than 100 victims, dismisses suggestions that the pilots deliberately or mistakenly shut off fuel controls, leading to the crash.
He states that such claims of “self-sabotage” or gross pilot error lack evidential support and unfairly tarnish the deceased pilots’ reputations.
Andrews pursues lawsuits against Boeing, emphasizing longstanding technical concerns with the Boeing 787’s potable water system, which supplies drinkable water to passengers and crew.
This system’s proximity to sensitive electronics has raised alarms through years of Boeing bulletins and recent FAA warnings about water leaks.
Boeing issued bulletins to airlines in 2016, 2017, and 2018, instructing them to perform waterproofing maintenance.
These focused on couplings that join water lines under lavatories and galley areas. Andrews describes these couplings as simple clamshell devices that hold two lines together, but notes that the way the final shroud fits can loosen the latch over time, resulting in leaks.
Reported by The Independent, Andrews highlights that FAA notices and directives have documented water leaking into equipment bays on 787s, sometimes requiring equipment replacement.
The electronics equipment bay, located beneath the cabin floor, houses computers controlling nearly all flight aspects, including the full authority digital engine control (FADEC).
FADEC serves as the engine’s brain, automatically managing all performance aspects by receiving data from sensors, calculating optimal settings, and adjusting fuel flow and other parameters to maximize efficiency, performance, and safety. The FAA states that if FADEC fails, the engine fails.
Photo: Bhavya Velani/Aviation A2ZWater Leak Theory
Andrews explains that water leaks do not need to destroy components outright to cause danger; even minor exposure can trigger a reset, cascading into an engine shutdown.
In this crash, both engines shut down or lost thrust within seconds after takeoff, an event Andrews deems extraordinarily unlikely without a common cause, such as water reaching these systems.
The FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive on May 14, warning of water leakage from the potable water system due to improperly installed waterline couplings. This could wet equipment in the EE bays, leading to electrical shorts and potential loss of functions essential for safe flight.
The directive mandated inspections for missing sealant and moisture barriers but did not take effect until about 6 days after the Air India crash, which Andrews criticizes for lacking urgency despite Boeing’s years-long awareness.
He raises concerns about regulatory gaps, noting that FAA authority primarily applies within the United States, where issues might receive political protection or face communication breakdowns internationally, reducing enforcement urgency elsewhere.
Photo: By lasta29 – Air India, B787-8 Dreamliner, VT-ANR, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40687689Sequence of the Air India Crash
Air India (AI) Flight AI171, operating a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, departed from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad (AMD) on June 12, bound for London Heathrow (LHR).
Less than 2 minutes into the flight, the aircraft lost power, veered off course, and struck a medical college building near the runway.
All 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground perished, totaling 260 fatalities. Among the victims were 52 British citizens. The sole survivor, Leicester resident Vishwashkumar Ramesh, survived after being thrown clear of the fuselage.
The survivor’s account to the BBC describes cabin lights starting to flicker green and white moments after takeoff. Within five to 10 seconds of being airborne, the plane felt “stuck in the air,” followed by a sudden slam into the building and explosion.
Andrews interprets these details, flickering lights, and color changes as indicators of electrical issues.
Additionally, the ram air turbine, a small emergency windmill that deploys only during certain electrical failures, was activated. Andrews awaits the timeline of its deployment to better understand the precipitating events.
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released a preliminary report in July, stating that both fuel switches moved to the “cut-off” position immediately after takeoff, halting fuel supply to the engines.
The cockpit voice recording captures one pilot asking the other, “Why did he cut-off?” with the response, “I did not do so.”
This has sparked theories of pilot self-sabotage or accidental switch-off. However, Andrews urges caution, suggesting the exchange might refer to a FADEC reset or electrical bus shutdown, essentially the main breaker system, causing one pilot’s panel to fail.
He emphasizes that interpreting it as intentional action is premature conjecture without full data.
The pilots had passed breathalyzer tests, arrived in Ahmedabad the day before, and received adequate rest, clearing them as fit to fly with no signs of impairment.
Photo: By byeangel from Tsingtao, China – VT-ANM | Air India | Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner | ICN, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39849225Boeing 787 Design and Issues
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, introduced in 2011, represents Boeing’s flagship long-haul aircraft, designed with carbon-fiber construction for fuel efficiency, burning about 20 percent less fuel than the predecessor 767.
It offers passenger benefits like larger windows and higher cabin pressure, enabling airlines to plan ultra-long routes profitably.
Despite these advantages, Andrews points to persistent problems with the potable water system and its leaks affecting the EE bay.
He also expresses curiosity about whether leaks could impact the lithium-ion batteries in the tail section, known for susceptibility to “thermal runaway,” an uncontrollable heating event that moisture could exacerbate and pose additional hazards.
The Dreamliner’s certification process involved the Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) system, where Boeing self-approved designs on behalf of the FAA.
Andrews questions whether water leak risks should have been identified and addressed during certification, asking why there was not more urgency if Boeing knew of leaks dripping into flight computers.
Photo- X Sources; Compiled by Aviation A2ZLegal Proceedings and Evidence Gathering
Andrews’ team has not yet filed a lawsuit in court, but actively gathers evidence. They submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in the United States to access data from the flight recorders. Indian authorities have indicated they will conduct the full analysis domestically.
4 whistleblowers have contacted the team, providing what Andrews calls “vital technical and engineering information.”
These individuals come from different layers of the aerospace industry, not necessarily inside Boeing, including subcontractors, maintenance engineers, suppliers, and those who conducted independent analyses.
Andrews stresses maintaining a broad investigative scope to avoid fixating on one theory prematurely.
He cautions families against accepting the pilot error narrative, noting that the preliminary report omits critical data, insinuates rather than states facts, and raises transparency concerns.
Andrews advises patience, warning that blaming pilots without full information is as unjust as unequivocally blaming Boeing without evidence.
Vishwas Kumar Ramesh, Air India Crash Sole SurvivorFamily Impacts
For the victims’ families, the pursuit extends beyond financial compensation. Andrews outlines two primary goals: first, to uncover what happened, why it happened, and how it happened; second, to ensure the prevention of future occurrences.
Every client has expressed a desire for transparency and accountability, questioning whether the tragedy was avoidable.
Some families face additional frustrations with Air India (AI) regarding compensation, including intra-family disputes over entitlements and processing delays. This has left certain relatives with “no answers, no compensation, no nothing, just a loss.”
As potential lawsuits form, Andrews insists manufacturers cannot shift blame downstream. If a coupling proves defective, responsibility lies with the subcomponent maker; if Boeing delivers an aircraft allowing water to drip into flight computers, accountability falls on Boeing.
He argues against expecting airlines to engineer solutions around defective equipment.
Reforms hinge on final investigative findings, but Andrews highlights the need for enhanced oversight in aviation safety, which affects everyone globally.
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