The recent Air India crash on June 12, 2025, which killed 265 people, has raised questions about the safety of air travel and the accountability of airlines and manufacturers. Despite the Air India CEO’s claims that there were no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft, the families of four victims have filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Honeywell, accusing them of negligence. The lawsuit alleges that a defective design of the aircraft’s fuel switches, which were manufactured by Honeywell and installed by Boeing, caused the accident.
Meanwhile, a writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India, seeking disclosure of all basic factual data pertaining to the accident, including the complete Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) output and the full Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcript with timestamps. The petition also seeks the appointment of an independent investigator to oversee and monitor the ongoing investigation into the accident.
The petition criticizes the preliminary report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Body (AAIB) for its “selective disclosures” and paraphrased references to cockpit voice recordings without timestamps or corroborative context. It argues that this selective presentation creates a misleading impression and undermines transparency, and that it tends to attribute the cause of the accident to pilot error while absolving the manufacturer and the airline of potential responsibility.
The petition highlights several technical aspects of the investigation that seem lacking and appear to have been overlooked or not examined in as much detail as would befit an accident of this nature and magnitude. These include the role of Bus Power Control Units (BPCUs), which are central to the 787’s electrical and data distribution network, and which were defective in this case. The petition argues that these findings strongly support the “electrical disturbance theory,” whereby signal anomalies rather than pilot actions triggered the dual engine shutdown.
The petition also raises concerns about the state in which the aft Enhanced Aircraft Flight Recorder (EAFR) was found, which suggests some kind of sabotage or tampering with the rear recorder. Additionally, it argues that the failure of AAIB to include the testimony of the sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, is a glaring omission that could materially impact the investigation.
The lawsuit and the writ petition are likely to force the authorities to bring in more transparency in the proceedings and help bring to book those who might be keen to avoid sharing the blame for this tragedy. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for early November, and a second writ is likely to be filed by the father of the crashed plane’s commander, Sumeet Sabharwal, with the assistance of a group of pilots. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) is also likely to join hands with Sabharwal Sr. and be included as a petitioner in the writ.