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A US-based aviation safety campaign group has alleged that the Air India Boeing 787 aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025, suffered from multiple technical problems throughout its service life, and that safety issues linked to the aircraft type are being downplayed globally.
The Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS) submitted a presentation dated January 12, 2026, to the US Senate, according to people aware of the matter. HT has seen the documents part of the presentation. The submission outlines findings it claims are based on documents in its possession. HT could not independently verify these documents.
According to the group, these records suggest the aircraft, registered VT-ANB, experienced system failures from its very first day in service with Air India.
FAS alleged the problems stemmed from what it described as a “wide and confusing” mix of engineering, manufacturing, quality and maintenance shortcomings. The issues cited include electronic and software faults, repeated tripping of circuit breakers, wiring damage, short circuits, loss of electrical power and overheating of power system components.
When asked about the claims by FAS, a Boeing spokesperson said, “We will defer to India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), in adherence with the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization protocol known as Annex 13.”
The civil aviation ministry declined to comment on the report.
Air India did not respond to requests for comment.
Commenting on the preliminary report released by AAIB, the foundation claimed the findings appeared to suggest pilot error, particularly with regard to fuel control switches. FAS compared this narrative to the early investigations into the Boeing 737 MAX crashes, alleging a pattern of “blame the pilots”.
FAS claimed Boeing’s 787 programme was more than three years behind schedule and ran billions of dollars over budget. It said it analysed over 2,000 aircraft systems failure reports related to the 787, covering about 18% of the global fleet of 1,235 aircraft, and argued this represented “just the tip of the iceberg”.
According to FAS, the aircraft involved in the crash rolled out of the factory in late 2011, flew for the first time in December 2013, was delivered to Air India on January 28, 2014, and made its first commercial flight on February 8, 2014.
The foundation alleged that documents in its possession indicate system failures began the day the aircraft arrived in India on February 1, 2014, and continued throughout its 11-year service life. The group alleged these included repeated electrical failures, smoke and fumes, electrical surges and overheating of power distribution components.
As examples, FAS alleged there was a fire in January 2022 in the P100 primary power panel, which it said caused extensive damage around the L2 bus tie breaker — a safety and power distribution device — and wiring, requiring the entire panel to be replaced. It also alleged that in April 2022, the aircraft was grounded due to faults linked to the landing gear indication system, following which multiple components were replaced, including a proximity sensing data concentrator module and a remote power distribution unit.
The report attached pictures but did not include supportive documents.
The P100 panel is a critical power distribution unit located in the aft electronics bay. It receives power from the left engine and supplies electricity to several aircraft systems.
The foundation also claimed similar electrical system failures have been observed in other Air India 787 aircraft, as well as in 787s registered in the US, Canada and Australia.
In its assessment, FAS said passengers and crew fly on 787 aircraft without being aware of what it termed “ongoing public safety issues”. It alleged that Boeing, Air India and Indian government officials were withholding safety information, and called for criminal investigations by US authorities.
It also urged the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to disclose relevant information with the AAIB investigation team, and called on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to investigate all reported 787 systems failures and conduct inspections across the fleet.