The families of the four passengers killed in the Air India plane crash have filed a lawsuit against US airlines Boeing and Honeywell in the Supreme Court of Delaware. The lawsuit alleges that the two companies had committed serious design errors that cut off fuel supplies, causing a complete loss of thrust and leading to tragedy.
The 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people departing for the UK crashed into a residential area in Ahmedabad shortly after takeoff on June 12, 2025, killing almost all passengers and crew, leaving only one survivor. The disaster also killed 19 people underground.
A preliminary report from the Indian Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Agency said that the fuel switches in the cockpit were accidentally turned off just a few seconds after takeoff, causing both engines to stall. The plaintiff said that the reason was due to a design error that allowed the fuel cutting to happen unexpectedly.
The victims' families allege that Boeing had planted a fuel switch right behind the thrust control unit, allowing normal operation in the cockpit to cause unwanted fuel outages. They also said Honeywell and Boeing were well aware of the risk, especially after the Federal Aviation Administration warned of the disabled locking mechanism on many Boeing aircraft since 2018, but did not warn or replace the equipment promptly.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration affirmed that Boeing's fuel control switch system is still safe. Air India CEO Donald Wilson also stressed in a letter to employees that the preliminary report did not detect any technical or maintenance problems related to the plane or engine.
