The families of four victims killed in the Air India Flight 171 crash have filed a lawsuit in the United States against aerospace giants Boeing and Honeywell, accusing them of negligence and knowingly allowing a fatal design flaw to go unaddressed.

The suit, filed on Tuesday and reviewed by the BBC, alleges that defective fuel switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner caused the June crash and claims that the companies “did nothing” despite being aware of the associated risks.

Air India Flight 171, bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. The aircraft involved was a Boeing 787, with components manufactured by Honeywell.

Preliminary findings by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that fuel supply to the engines was severed moments after the plane lifted off the runway, placing the spotlight on the aircraft’s fuel control switches.

Although the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously affirmed that the fuel switches used in Boeing aircraft are safe, the lawsuit cites a 2018 FAA advisory. That notice urged—though did not require—operators to inspect the locking mechanisms on fuel switches to prevent them from being accidentally toggled, which could shut off fuel flow.

In the case of Flight 171, investigators believe the fuel switch was inadvertently moved from “run” to “cut-off,” leading to a sudden loss of engine thrust and causing the crash, according to the AAIB’s early report.

The families argue this amounted to a critical design flaw that “allowed for inadvertent cutoff of fuel supply and total loss of thrust necessary to propel” the aircraft.

“What did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing,” the lawsuit states.

The filing further alleges that both companies failed to properly warn airlines about the risk posed by the switches, did not mandate inspections, and neglected to supply replacement parts to fix the issue.

Instead, Boeing and Honeywell “sat idly” behind a non-binding advisory that merely recommended inspections, the plaintiffs argue. The families are being represented by the Texas-based Lanier Law Firm.

Neither Boeing nor Honeywell has publicly commented on the lawsuit. Boeing instead referred media outlets to the AAIB’s preliminary crash report.

A full and detailed investigation report is expected in 2026.

The crash claimed the lives of 229 passengers, 12 cabin crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground.

Source: BBC News

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