Ahmedabad crash: What it says about Boeing’s broken system | LME 79

The crash took just 38 seconds. Not enough time to send a second mayday. Not enough time for 242 people onboard to escape.

But we still don’t know what caused it. 

And this wasn’t an aging aircraft. This was a Dreamliner — Boeing’s pride. A plane with no fatal crashes. Until now.

In the days that followed, Boeing aircrafts started making headlines. Snags, cancellations, unexplained failures.

An Air India flight from Hong Kong to Delhi - technical snag.

Another flight from San Francisco to Kolkata- issue in the left engine  

Delhi–Ranchi Air India Express flight- suspected technical problems. Another Dreamliner — the same Ahmedabad–London route as the crash — was cancelled. First cited as a technical issue, Air India later attributed it to “aircraft unavailability.” 

That’s four incidents in just a few days involving Boeing.

Many experts argue that this crash didn’t happen in isolation. They have warned about it for years. 

Like John Barnett.

He worked at Boeing for nearly 30 years.

He had warned that there were serious issues.

In 2024, while his whistleblower case was open, he was found dead.

Police called it suicide. His family blames Boeing.

Now, after 290 people died in the Ahmedabad crash, Barnett’s warnings are back in focus.

This isn’t just about one aircraft. It’s about what happens when a system built on trust starts to crack — when those meant to protect passengers instead protect power.

So I am going to walk you through it. What went wrong,  tell what warnings  people like Barnett gave

why India just cannot afford to look away.

Let me explain.

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The death toll involving the Ahmedabad crash now stands at at least 290.

We will know the exact cause once investigators retrieve the black boxes. That process could take months.

My colleague Korah Abraham has explained what this 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation — India’s top aviation regulator — along with US and UK authorities, launched a formal investigation and ordered a full inspection of Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet.

So far, the DGCA says the aircraft and maintenance systems are safe. But it still flagged lapses in maintenance and asked Air India to clean up its internal systems.

This clean chit apart, the accident is a serious blow to Boeing.

Air India currently operates 33 Dreamliners. Since the crash, 66 flights using these aircraft have been cancelled.

The Dreamliner had a clean sheet until now. Yes, there were early hiccups — battery fires, production delays — but no fatal crashes.

The cracks in Boeing’s reputation didn’t start with the Air India crash.

It goes back to at least 2018, when a Lion Air 737 MAX crashed due to a software glitch.

Then, just months later, an Ethiopian Airlines MAX went down — same model, same issue.

346 people lost their lives.

Fast forward to January 2024: a door plug blew out mid-air on an Alaska Airlines. A literal hole in the aircraft.

And now, the Dreamliner joins the list.

For those paying attention, this wasn’t a surprise.

Because the red flags were already flying — raised by the people who built these planes.

John Barnett, a veteran quality manager at Boeing, warned that emergency oxygen systems on Dreamliners could fail one out of every four times.

He also alleged that scrap or defective parts were being installed just to meet deadlines.

In 2024, while his whistleblower case was still open, he was found dead from a gunshot wound. Police say it was a case of suicide. His family has refuted this.

Then there’s Sam Salehpour, an engineer who testified to the US Senate.

He said Boeing was forcing misaligned fuselage parts together on the 787 and 777, which could cause tiny cracks that get worse over time.

After he spoke up? He was iced out. Reassigned. Sidelined.

And if you go back even further, to 2006 — Vince Weldon, another aerospace engineer, warned about the Dreamliner’s carbon fibre body.

He said it could shatter in a crash. Degrade over time. Release toxic fumes in a fire.

He was fired.

None of these warnings were taken seriously.

There’s also the issue of how Boeing is regulated.

The FAA — the US aviation authority — allows Boeing to self-certify many of its own parts. It’s a system that whistleblowers say has enabled serious misconduct.

Of 97 complaints filed with the US Office of Special Counsel against Boeing or the FAA only one led to action. This is since 2007.

So now when Boeing promises it’s serious about safety, it’s a hard sell.

The US Justice Department recently entered into a deal with Boeing — the company will invest 1.1 billion dollars in safety improvements and victim compensation. But it also admitted to obstructing FAA oversight.

Boeing’s former CEO Dave Calhoun resigned in the wake of the Alaska Airlines scandal. 

At a Senate hearing before he stepped down, Calhoun admitted that whistleblowers had been retaliated against.

But he insisted that Boeing encourages a “speak-up” culture.

Now, his replacement Kelly Ortberg, who was brought out of retirement to clean up the mess, is once again in damage control.

So far, all the company has said is that it’s supporting the investigation.

Let’s now talk about Air India.

This plane — code VT-ANB — was delivered to India in January 2014. It had flown over 41,000 hours.

And it was part of Air India’s effort to modernise its long-haul fleet. The Tata Group — took over the airline in 2022 — and placed a huge order in 2024: 220 aircrafts from Boeing, including 20 Dreamliners.

This crash is a gut punch.

Air India has seen tragedy before — Kozhikode in 2020, Mangalore in 2010. But this one hits differently.

Because it doesn’t just expose one airline’s failure.

It forces India to reckon with its aviation oversight.

India, like many other countries, relies on the FAA for aircraft certifications. But after the 737 MAX disasters, countries like China and those in the EU developed their own certification processes. India still hasn’t.

The DGCA — India’s aviation regulator — simply lacks the manpower and independence needed to keep up.

The International Civil Aviation Organization flagged this in 2022. Accident investigation was one of India’s weakest areas, with just 36% compliance.

Other countries acted fast after plane crashes. Indonesia grounded its 737 MAX fleet within 48 hours. Ethiopia launched an independent investigation and brought in global experts. China grounded the MAX before any other country.

India, on the other hand, still waits for foreign authorities to take the lead.

And here’s the kicker. Within 48 hours of the June 12 crash, five Dreamliners faced technical issues around the world — including one more Air India flight, and a British Airways one.

So what does all this tell us?

That this isn’t just about one plane. Or one airline. Or even one company.

It’s about an entire system that’s grown too big, too cosy, and too unaccountable.

See, today, almost every commercial aircraft flying around the world is made by just two companies: Boeing and Airbus.

Meaning there’s virtually no competition. No real alternatives. And no real pressure to do better.

It wasn’t always like this.

In the past, there were several serious players — Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Convair in the US, and others across Europe.

But over the decades, mergers, bankruptcies, and government-backed deals wiped them out.

When Boeing bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997, it took out its last major American rival.

Now, between Boeing and Airbus, they split nearly every major aircraft order on the planet.

And that’s why moments like this crash are so critical.

Because they don’t just raise questions about a single manufacturer.

They reveal the cracks in a system that has too few checks, too little oversight, and way too much at stake.

Flying is still statistically safe.

But trust? That’s harder to keep in the air.

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Producer: Megha Mukundan

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Research: Aarav Gupta

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