Faulty fuel cutoff switch allegedly caused plane to become a “250,000-pound lawn dart”

The families of four passengers who died in the catastrophic crash of Air India Flight 171 have filed a product defect and negligence lawsuit against The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) and Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON). The lawsuit alleges a faulty fuel cutoff switch led to the crash that killed 242 people aboard the aircraft and 19 more on the ground shortly after takeoff from the international airport in Ahmedabad, India, in June of this year.

Video of the attorney discussing the case available for use here.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, flight data indicates that an Air India pilot accidentally shut off fuel to the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s engines, causing a complete loss of thrust necessary to complete the takeoff. The fuel cutoff switch, manufactured by Honeywell and installed by Boeing, is designed with a locking mechanism to prevent unintended cutoff of fuel supply to the engines mid-flight.

But the lawsuit says these switches are installed in a “high traffic” location immediately behind and adjacent to the thrust levers that pilots continuously manipulate during takeoff. In addition, documents show that both Honeywell and Boeing knew the locking mechanism could easily be turned off inadvertently or could be missing altogether.

That assertion is supported by a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration report confirming that Boeing and Honeywell were aware that switches were being delivered on the aircraft with the locking mechanism disengaged, allowing for “unintended” fuel cutoff mid-flight. However, there is no evidence that the companies alerted Air India or other customers that the switches must be inspected and repaired for passenger safety and did not ship replacement switches to those airlines for installation.

“It is shocking that Honeywell and Boeing both knew of this danger and did absolutely nothing to prevent the inevitable catastrophe that occurred on June 12,” says Benjamin Major of The Lanier Law Firm, co-counsel for the families. “This defect is comparable to an auto manufacturer putting an unprotected emergency brake control next to a radio volume knob in your car. And unlike a car, restarting jet engines takes minutes of time, not seconds. Once these engines shut down, that plane basically became a 250,000-pound lawn dart.”

According to the lawsuit, both switches on the Flight 171 aircraft suddenly and inadvertently moved from the “RUN” to the “CUTOFF” position just three seconds after liftoff, completely cutting fuel supply to both engines. A cockpit voice recorder captured a brief exchange between the pilots, indicating that neither intended to shut off fuel to the aircraft. Despite the pilots’ attempts to restore engine power, there was insufficient time for the engines to restart and provide adequate thrust to prevent the crash. The crew transmitted a Mayday call, and six seconds later the Dreamliner crashed into multiple buildings located just one nautical mile from the end of the runway.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for the wrongful deaths of four passengers on Flight 171: Kantaben Dhirubhai Paghadal; Naavya Chirag Paghadal; Kuberbhai Patel; and Babiben Patel.

The case is Paghadal, et al. v. The Boeing Company and Honeywell International Inc., Case No.N 25C-09-145 PAW in the Delaware Superior Court-New Castle County.

About The Lanier Law Firm

For more than 30 years, the men and women at The Lanier Law Firm have worked tirelessly, throughout the United States, to find unique and effective solutions for their clients. More than 50 skilled attorneys practice law in a broad array of areas, including business litigation, pharmaceutical litigation, asbestos exposure, oil and gas litigation, personal injury as well as defective and dangerous products, among others. Named an Elite Trial Law Firm by The National Law Journal, The Lanier Law Firm has offices in Houston, New York and Los Angeles. To learn more, visit http://www.lanierlawfirm.com.

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“It is shocking that Honeywell and Boeing both knew of this danger and did absolutely nothing to prevent the inevitable catastrophe that occurred on June 12,” says Benjamin Major of The Lanier Law Firm, co-counsel for the families.