Indian Pilots Demand Thorough Investigation into AI-171 Boeing 787 Crash

New Delhi, September 19 (Daily Kiran) : The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to conduct a comprehensive examination of all evidence related to the electrical, electronic, and avionics systems in the ongoing inquiry into Air India’s Flight AI-171 Boeing 787 accident.

In a letter, FIP President Captain C.S. Randhawa emphasized the need to scrutinize all available technical information to bolster aviation safety. The pilots’ organization referenced several letters and technical notes previously submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the investigation agency. These documents highlighted issues with electrical systems in Boeing 787 aircraft and their potential connection to an incident involving aircraft VT-ANB in June 2025.

FIP also called for a careful review of technical materials provided by the Foundation for Aviation Safety. This information reportedly includes documents related to the aircraft’s operational history, maintenance records, recurring system malfunctions, and signs of failures.

According to the pilots’ organization, the AAIB has acknowledged receiving this information and stated that it would be reviewed by experts from the UK’s AAIB.

The FIP pointed out that the Boeing 787 employs highly integrated “more electric aircraft” technology, making systems such as power generation, distribution, monitoring, and data networks crucial for safe operation. They believe that a collective investigation into recurring technical issues, intermittent failures, power supply interruptions, software resets, sensor malfunctions, and problems identified during maintenance could yield vital insights into the causes of the accident.

The federation has requested a detailed review of historical maintenance and reliability data for the aircraft. This includes technical log entries, unresolved defects, reports of recurring issues, troubleshooting records, replaced components, reliability monitoring data, and information on engineering improvements made during the aircraft’s service life.

FIP has also called for an in-depth analysis of the electrical power generation and distribution system, integrated modular avionics, flight management and control computers, battery systems, power control units, and the aircraft’s data network.

They urged investigators to cross-reference information from the flight recorder with data from the Aircraft Health Monitoring System, ACARS transmissions, maintenance databases, built-in test equipment reports, and service records from the aircraft manufacturer. This approach could help in understanding the various technical aspects involved in the investigation of the accident.