Did Air India's Crashed Boeing 787 Have a Secret History of Electrical Fires?

Aviation safety campaigners in the United States have presented a new report to the U.S. Senate, claiming the Air India Flight 171 crash was linked to long-standing technical issues on the aircraft. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered VT-ANB, crashed on June 12, 2025, shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, India. The accident resulted in approximately 260 fatalities, including passengers, crew, and people on the ground.

Allegations of Latent Defects

The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), a U.S.-based advocacy group, submitted a whistleblower report to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) in January 2026. The report alleges the specific Boeing 787 Dreamliner defects were chronic, beginning shortly after the aircraft entered service with Air India in early 2014.

FAS claims to have obtained internal maintenance records. These records reportedly show a "wide and confusing variety" of engineering and maintenance problems. The documented issues include repeated circuit breaker trips, electronics and software faults, and wire damage.

The P100 Power Panel Fire

A key allegation in the Foundation for Aviation Safety report concerns a serious electrical incident in January 2022. The aircraft, VT-ANB, reportedly suffered a fire in its P100 Primary Power Panel. This panel is a high-voltage distribution unit for engine-generated power. The damage was allegedly so extensive that the entire power panel required replacement. FAS describes these repeated failures as "latent defects". They argue these hidden problems accumulated over the aircraft's 11-year life.

Official Investigation and Conflicting Findings

India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is leading the official probe. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Boeing are participating, as is standard international protocol.

• Preliminary AAIB Finding: A preliminary report released in July 2025 identified the immediate cause. It found the engine fuel control switches moved from "RUN" to "CUTOFF" shortly after liftoff. This action starved the engines of fuel, causing a dual power loss. The report did not assign a reason for the switch movement.
• Campaigner's View: The FAS report suggests the long history of Air India 787 electrical issues must be considered. They question whether a systemic electrical failure could have contributed to the final event.

Industry and Regulatory Impact

The Ahmedabad plane crash 2025 and the subsequent report have put the spotlight on the 787's design. The Dreamliner relies heavily on electrical systems, replacing many traditional pneumatic components for efficiency. This design choice has been a source of past scrutiny, including a 2013 battery fire that grounded the global 787 fleet.

Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India mandated enhanced safety inspections. These checks applied to Air India's entire Boeing 787 fleet. The submission to the US Senate PSI, a body that has previously reviewed Boeing's safety culture, signals a potential for broader regulatory action. The final investigation report from the AAIB is still pending. The aviation industry awaits a final determination on the relationship between the aircraft's maintenance history and the catastrophic loss of thrust.

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