Fatal 787 Crash: Was the Problem in the Cockpit, or Built in Over a Decade

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), a US-based advocacy group, has submitted a formal presentation to the US Senate alleging that the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, was plagued by a decade of ‘unresolved technical failures’. According to documents dated January 12, 2026, the group claims that the aircraft, registered as VT-ANB, suffered from systemic manufacturing and maintenance shortcomings from its first day of service in 2014 until the accident. The FAS report highlights a ‘wide and confusing’ array of issues, specifically pointing to chronic electronic faults, wiring damage, and overheating components within the aircraft's complex power distribution systems.

Central to the allegations is the P100 primary power panel, a critical unit located in the aft electronics bay that manages electricity from the left engine. FAS claims this specific panel caught fire in January 2022, causing extensive damage to safety devices like the L2 bus tie breaker. The group further alleges that the aircraft faced repeated groundings, including an April 2022 incident involving the landing gear sensing systems. By analysing over 2,000 failure reports across 18% of the global Dreamliner fleet, the foundation argues that these electrical surges and "smoke and fumes" incidents are not isolated to a single carrier but represent a broader, downplayed safety risk affecting 787 operators in the US, Canada, and Australia.

The foundation has also levelled sharp criticism at the ongoing investigation by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). FAS contends that the preliminary findings, which suggest pilot error regarding fuel control switches, follow a "blame the pilots" pattern reminiscent of the early Boeing 737 MAX investigations. They allege that vital safety information is being withheld by Boeing and government officials, calling for a criminal probe by US authorities and a comprehensive fleet-wide inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure passenger and crew safety.

Boeing has declined to comment on the specific allegations, stating it will defer to the AAIB in accordance with international protocols under ICAO Annexe 13. While the FAS submission includes photographs of alleged damage, the supporting documentation has not been independently verified. Both the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry and Air India have remained silent following requests for comment, as the industry awaits further clarity on whether the crash was a result of immediate operational errors or a long-standing "iceberg" of technical neglect.