New Evidence Suggests Air India Crash Was Not Due To Pilot Error: US Attorney

US attorney Mike Andrews who represents a majority of the families affected by the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking access to flight data recorder (FDR) information from the flight.

The attorney claimed new evidence that supports a water leak-induced short circuit theory as the cause of the crash and not pilot error.

Andrews formally requested the FDR or black box data from relevant US authorities, arguing his available evidence increasingly suggests that a leak from the aircraft's potable water system may have triggered an electrical short circuit, leading to critical system failures on board AI171.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

He claimed that this short circuit could have caused the fuel control switches to shut down automatically , resulting in a catastrophic loss of propulsion, and not due to any error by the flight crew.

Andrews backed his claims by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Boeing models such as 787-8, 787-9, and 787-10 aeroplanes. The Air India plane which was involved in the crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one mentioned in the FAA's directive.

The AD issued on May 14 was prompted by multiple reports of water leakage from improperly installed waterline couplings, leading to moisture entering the electronics equipment (EE) bays, a critical area housing flight control systems and avionics.

According to the FAA, such leaks "could cause the equipment in the EE bays to become wet, resulting in an electrical short and potential loss of system functions essential for safe flight."

The directive specifically mandates inspections of aircraft seat tracks above the EE bays for missing or deteriorated sealant, moisture barrier tape, or tape dams, all designed to prevent water intrusion.

On June 12, Air India flight AI171, crashed shortly after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members , and 19 people on the ground.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India later released the preliminary report into the tragic crash, outlining the harrowing sequence of events that unfolded within 90 seconds of takeoff . It noted that both engines of the aircraft shut down unexpectedly during the initial climb, leading to a catastrophic loss of thrust and rapid descent.

The crash represents one of the deadliest aviation accidents in India in recent history.

MENAFN22092025000049011007ID1110095486