The families of four passengers who died on an Air India jet that crashed in June have filed a lawsuit in the US against planemaker Boeing and aircraft parts maker Honeywell, accusing the companies of negligence.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday, and seen by the BBC, said faulty fuel switches caused the accident and accused the companies of doing nothing despite being aware of the risks of the aircraft's design.
Air India Flight 171 bound for London Gatwick, a Boeing 787, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
Fuel switches have become a focus for investigators after a preliminary inquiry found that fuel to the engines was cut off moments after the plane left the ground.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had said earlier that fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes are safe.
The lawsuit alleges that both firms knew about the risk of a crash since they developed and marketed the 787 Dreamliner and its components, citing a 2018 FAA advisory urging operators to inspect the fuel switches' locking mechanism.
The families argue that the design defect allowed for the inadvertent cutoff of fuel supply and total loss of thrust necessary to propel the plane. They stated: And what did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing.
Both companies reportedly failed to warn airlines about the necessary inspections and did not provide replacement parts. A more detailed report of the crash is expected in 2026.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday, and seen by the BBC, said faulty fuel switches caused the accident and accused the companies of doing nothing despite being aware of the risks of the aircraft's design.
Air India Flight 171 bound for London Gatwick, a Boeing 787, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
Fuel switches have become a focus for investigators after a preliminary inquiry found that fuel to the engines was cut off moments after the plane left the ground.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had said earlier that fuel control switches in Boeing aeroplanes are safe.
The lawsuit alleges that both firms knew about the risk of a crash since they developed and marketed the 787 Dreamliner and its components, citing a 2018 FAA advisory urging operators to inspect the fuel switches' locking mechanism.
The families argue that the design defect allowed for the inadvertent cutoff of fuel supply and total loss of thrust necessary to propel the plane. They stated: And what did Honeywell and Boeing do to prevent the inevitable catastrophe? Nothing.
Both companies reportedly failed to warn airlines about the necessary inspections and did not provide replacement parts. A more detailed report of the crash is expected in 2026.
