By ANURADHA MIGLANI / The News Dose.Com

Chandigarh, June 13 – The tragic crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad on Thursday has once again brought the safety of Boeing’s wide-body jets under the scanner. As investigators comb through wreckage and black box data, aviation experts are beginning to ask a pressing question: Could known safety concerns with the Boeing 787 have played a role in India’s deadliest single-aircraft disaster in decades?

A Pattern of Technical Red Flags

Since its commercial debut in 2011, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has been hailed for its fuel efficiency, advanced composite structure, and long-haul capability. Yet, the aircraft has not been free of controversy. Over the past decade, the 787 series—particularly the 787-8 variant—has faced a series of technical issues globally:

• Battery Fires (2013): The early grounding of the entire global 787 fleet in 2013 after lithium-ion battery fires was a major safety alarm.

• Electrical System Anomalies: Multiple incidents involving power distribution panels, generator malfunctions, and electronic controls raised questions about reliability.

• Structural Flaws (2020–2022): Boeing itself admitted to production defects, including gaps between fuselage sections and quality control lapses in the tail assembly. The U.S. FAA even halted deliveries for months.

• Engine Reliability Issues: Operators have reported engine compressor blade erosion and icing-related power losses—factors that directly affect take-off performance.

While none of these issues had led to a fatal crash—until now—the pattern raised sustained regulatory concern. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued more than a dozen airworthiness directives over the years, ranging from software upgrades to structural inspections.

The Ahmedabad Crash: A Deadly Turn

Flight AI-171’s fatal nosedive within 32 seconds of take-off from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport marks the first mass-casualty crash involving a 787 globally. Preliminary eyewitness accounts mention abnormal engine noise, a sudden dive, and no time for evasive manoeuvres. The pilot reportedly radioed a “Mayday” call just before the aircraft plunged into a multi-storey hostel, killing 241 people onboard and five on the ground.

While the exact cause remains under investigation, experts point out that the short duration of flight, combined with an engine-related distress call and an abrupt loss of lift, warrants a hard look at several known Dreamliner vulnerabilities.

Key Safety Questions Raised

1. Was this a known engine-related issue?
   If the crash was preceded by power loss or thrust asymmetry—already a known concern on the 787—it could explain the aircraft’s inability to gain altitude.

2. Was there a failure in the fly-by-wire or electronic control system?
   The Dreamliner’s advanced flight systems, while efficient, leave little room for mechanical override if electronic systems fail mid-flight.

3. Did structural fatigue or unnoticed fuselage issues play a role?
   The 787-8 that crashed was a 2013 model, putting it squarely within the timeline of known structural integrity concerns flagged by Boeing and regulators.

4. Were Air India’s maintenance protocols aligned with Boeing’s frequent service bulletins?
   The airline’s internal compliance with Boeing’s often-changing directives could come under intense scrutiny.

Government and Global Response

In the wake of the crash, the Indian government is reportedly considering grounding the 787-8 fleet for safety inspections, and coordinating with U.S. regulators and Boeing engineers. If the probe finds a systemic fault, it could spark a ripple effect among global carriers operating the same model.

This comes at a time when Boeing is already under fire over its 737 MAX program, which faced two catastrophic crashes and a years-long grounding. The Dreamliner had largely escaped that level of regulatory backlash—until now.

A Tipping Point?

The Ahmedabad crash may be a turning point in how global aviation regulators assess the 787 platform. While final conclusions await black box data and structural analysis, the early signs—distress call, erratic engine behaviour, and the pattern of past defects—suggest a critical need to revisit both aircraft design and airline maintenance accountability.

India’s worst aviation disaster in decades may not only be a national tragedy but a global wake-up call for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner program.