The families of four passengers who died in the June crash of Air India Flight 171 have filed a lawsuit against Boeing and Honeywell. They blame the companies for negligence and a faulty fuel cutoff switch that contributed to the accident, which killed 260 people.
The crash happened shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, during a flight to London. In a complaint filed in Delaware Superior Court, the plaintiffs argue that the fuel cutoff switch on the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner could accidentally turn off or be missing, cutting the fuel supply and thrust needed for takeoff.
The plaintiffs claim that Boeing and Honeywell were aware of the risk, especially after a 2018 warning from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about disengaged locking mechanisms on Boeing aircraft. The lawsuit says that placing the switch behind the thrust levers effectively allowed normal cockpit activity to cause the fuel cutoff.
Boeing and Honeywell have declined to comment. This lawsuit, the first filed in the US over the crash, seeks unspecified damages for the deaths of the four passengers.
