The lawsuit stems from the June 12 Ahmedabad plane crash of Air India flight AI-171, which claimed 270 lives when the Boeing 787-8 struck a hospital building shortly after takeoff.

The families of four passengers allege that a faulty fuel switch design allowed the control to be accidentally moved from “run” to “cut-off,” cutting off fuel supply to both engines and causing loss of thrust. Investigators found the switches were in the off position just after takeoff, triggering the catastrophic accident. Despite a 2018 FAA advisory recommending inspection of the fuel switch locking mechanism, Boeing and Honeywell did not mandate inspections, issue replacement parts, or warn airlines of the hazard, the lawsuit claims.

“Boeing and Honeywell knew about the risks but did nothing to prevent this tragedy,” the complaint states, highlighting that the companies ignored FAA guidance that could have averted the crash.

Meanwhile, Captain Sumit Sabharwal’s 91-year-old father, Pushkarraj Sabharwal, has demanded a fresh probe into the crash. In a letter to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation, he condemned selective leaks from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report that suggested his son deliberately turned off the fuel switches. The Wall Street Journal reported that cockpit recordings indicated manual deactivation.

Pushkarraj emphasized his son’s impeccable record—25 years of accident-free flying, 15,600 logged hours, and status as a pilot instructor. “My son’s personal life is being distorted to raise suspicion against him,” he wrote, urging a formal inquiry under Rule 12 of the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2017.

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) also criticized the AAIB findings as “one-sided,” accusing investigators of presenting cockpit conversations selectively and excluding pilot bodies from the inquiry. The crash claimed the lives of 169 Indians, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese, one Canadian, and 12 crew members, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

As the legal battle unfolds, families seek accountability from Boeing and Honeywell, while pilot groups and bereaved relatives demand transparency and justice.