The families of four victims of the Air India Flight 171 disaster have filed a federal lawsuit in the United States against Boeing and Honeywell, alleging that a known design defect led to the catastrophic crash in June 2025.
The lawsuit, filed on December 23, 2025, claims that faulty fuel control switches manufactured by Honeywell and installed on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were responsible for cutting off fuel to the engines moments after the aircraft departed from Ahmedabad. The accident resulted in the deaths of 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 individuals on the ground.
According to the legal filing, the companies were negligent for failing to address a specific vulnerability in the fuel switch locking mechanism that allowed for the inadvertent shutoff of engine thrust. The plaintiffs cite a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration advisory that recommended inspections of these switches but did not mandate a redesign or replacement.
The lawsuit argues that both Boeing and Honeywell were aware of the risks but did nothing to prevent the inevitable tragedy, failing to warn airlines or provide necessary replacement parts to ensure the switches could not be accidentally moved from the run to the cutoff position.
While Boeing has declined to comment directly on the litigation, the company pointed toward the preliminary findings of India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau. That initial report confirmed that the fuel switches had indeed been moved to the cutoff position shortly after takeoff, causing a total loss of power.
Honeywell has also not yet issued a formal response to the allegations of negligence. As the families seek damages for the loss of their loved ones, a comprehensive final report from international investigators is not expected until sometime in 2026.
