Air India: A Model for a Quality Improvement Plan after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner Collision in West Bengalurudu
The crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger jet in western India on Thursday is renewing scrutiny of company’s safety record after a yearslong quality crisis.
An Air India plane with more than 200 people on board crashed Thursday in western India, the airline said on social media. The plane crashed with more than 200 people on board, Air India said. These include 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian. There is no information about survivors at this time.
As part of the deal, Boeing would still have to admit to obstructing federal oversight, pay a fine, contribute to a fund for the families of the victims and invest in safety and quality programs. The deal was opposed by many of the crash victims’ families.
The airplane manufacturer has faced other prominent safety issues. In January 2024, a hole blew open on a Boeing 737 Max 9 during an Alaska Airlines flight, exposing passengers to forceful winds. Boeing told regulators in August of that year it would redesign the panels to better detect any malfunctions.
An airline Dreamliner hit a plane: Ortberg, Boeing, The Associated Press and the Safety of a Global Air Transport System
Kelly Ortberg, the company’s CEO, told employees in April that they should expect a “turnaround year” in 25 years.
The plane sank over a residential quarter, then heard a blast and a ball of fire in footage posted by Press Trust of India. Medics rushing casualties onto stretchers were shared by The Press Trust. The plane crashed just five minutes after taking off, according to Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the directorate of civil aviation, who spoke to The Associated Press.
Casualties may also include people impacted after the plane, or parts of the plane, smashed into the cafeteria of a hostel for male students of the BJ Medical College in Ahmedabad, according to a hospital official who declined to be named because she was not authorized to speak to the media. She stated that the hospital was taking in casualties.
90 people have been bought in, said another doctor at the trauma center where casualties were being treated. She also requested anonymity because she wasn’t authorized to speak to the media. At least 30 people were recovered from a building at the scene of the plane crash.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of the Tata Group that operates Air India said, in a statement that flight AI171 was involved in a “tragic incident.” He said the conglomerate was assisting emergency responders and providing support to those that were affected. The airport where the flight departed from has now suspended operations.
This is the first crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, according to the Aviation Safety Network. The aircraft gave a “Mayday” call, signaling an emergency before it crashed. A Boeing spokesman told The Associated Press that it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “working to gather more information.” Boeing says that more than 1000 of its aircraft are operating around the world.
The New York Times reported in April of 2024 that the FAA was looking into claims that sections of the 787 could break apart when thousands of trips had been made. At the time, Boeing told the Times that they had decided that this wasn’t an immediate safety issue.