The families of four victims of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad have filed lawsuits against aircraft manufacturer Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell, accusing the companies of negligence leading to the deaths of 260 passengers on July 12.
The lawsuit was filed on September 16 in Delaware Superior Court in the US. The plaintiffs are the families of Kantaben Dhirubhai Paghadal, Naavya Chirag Paghadal, Kuberbai Patel and Babiben Patel.
According to BBC, the lawsuit claims that faulty switches caused the accident and that the companies failed to take action despite being aware of the risks.
The lawsuit reportedly argues that the two companies were aware of the risks associated with the switch, citing a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory that urged, but did not mandate, that operators inspect the fuel switches' locking mechanism to ensure that it could not be moved by accident.
According to a preliminary report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released on July 11, both the fuel control switches went from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ exactly three seconds after takeoff. The report also includes details from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). As per the report, one pilot asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other responded, “I didn’t do so.”
The report did not state whether the switch movement was deliberate, accidental, or a mechanical failure.
The AAIB report added that Air India had not conducted the FAA’s suggested inspections.
The lawsuit further alleges that Boeing and Honeywell failed to warn the airlines that the switches needed to be inspected and repaired and that necessary parts had not been provided, BBC further reports.
According to Reuters, the families allege that the location of the switches in the cockpit could lead to them being “inadvertently pushed”, leading to an accidental fuel cutoff. However, aviation safety experts reportedly told Reuters that this was not possible based on the location and design of the switches.
Further, on July 24, the FAA said that the crash did not appear to have been caused by mechanical problems or accidental movement of the fuel control switches.
On July 29, another Boeing 787 from Washington to Munich had to be grounded following suspected engine failure post takeoff. The Boeing 787 aircraft has faced other allegations of flaws in manufacturing, with a whistleblower coming forward claiming quality control issues in the aircraft’s production.