Boeing’s name has been brought under a fresh light of scrutiny after one of its aircraft was involved in a shocking crash involving more than 240 people and 53 Brits.
The Air India plane destined to land at London Gatwick on Thursday evening, crashed just moments after taking off from Ahmedabad in western India. After leaving the tarmac the plane rose to 425ft before gradually descending and crashing into a built-up area just a few miles away from the airport – a fireball could be seen erupting with plumes of smoke rising up over the city.
It may take months or even years to find out the reason behind the crash but it is reported that the pilots put in a mayday call to Air Traffic Control reporting “engine failure” just moments before the crash.
The aeroplane itself was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the American aviation giant’s best-selling models. After its release in 2011, the firm sold more than 2,000 models of the aircraft to 89 different carriers including the likes of British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and TUI. Up until this morning, the type of aeroplane had never been involved in a fatal crash but safety concerns had been raised in recent years.
Last year, a whistle-blower who had been an engineer in the Boeing factory had reported his safety concerns to the US Federal Aviation Authorities after his worries that parts of the fuselage, the main body of the aircraft, had been “improperly fastened” which over years of use could cause the plane to break apart mid-flight.
According to the New York Times, two top engineers told interviewers that they had found no evidence to support the whistle-blower’s concerns, with the company conducting rigorous tests to see the wear after 165,000 simulated “flight cycles”.
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A spokesman for Boeing, Paul Lewis, told the paper at the time: “[There was] no impact on durability or safe longevity of the airframe. “[we] determined that this is not an immediate safety of flight issue.”
He added: “Our engineers are completing complex analysis to determine if there may be a long-term fatigue concern for the fleet in any area of the aeroplane.
“This would not become an issue for the in-service fleet for many years to come, if ever, and we are not rushing the team so that we can ensure that analysis is comprehensive.”
The Air India flight itself is thought to have been built in 2013, only being just over a decade old and still way off its expected lifespan of around 30 years.
In response to MyLondon, a spokesman from Boeing said: “We are in contact with Air India regarding Flight 171 and stand ready to support them. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew, first responders and all affected.”
