Boeing 787, Same Model as Crashed Air India Jet, Made Four Emergency Landings in Just One Month

A Boeing 787, identical to the one that crashed in India, was forced to make four emergency landings in less than a month earlier this year, sparking concerns over potential wing flap malfunctions. The incidents are now under investigation, with the malfunctioning wing flaps being closely scrutinized after footage of the Air India crash revealed possible issues with the plane’s flaps.

Boeing’s stock dropped by 8% before the opening bell in New York, with shares eventually down 5% as the news of the fatal crash revived safety concerns about the aircraft manufacturer, which had only recently emerged from the crisis surrounding the 737 MAX.

Questions Raised About Malfunctioning Wing Flaps Before Fatal Air India Crash

The American Airlines 787 involved in these incidents was grounded after its wing flap issues were detected on January 7, 2023, shortly after taking off from Amsterdam for Philadelphia. The aircraft had to dump fuel over the North Sea before landing at Schiphol Airport at a higher-than-normal speed.

The plane, an 8-year-old aircraft with over 4,000 flights, faced more emergency situations in the following weeks, including aborted flights to Philadelphia from Dublin, Barcelona, and Zurich.

Flaps and Their Role in Aircraft Aerodynamics

The Boeing 787’s wing flaps are essential control surfaces that adjust the aircraft’s aerodynamics by altering the shape of the wing to provide lift. With reports indicating that the wing flaps on the Air India aircraft were fully retracted, this raises concerns about whether they malfunctioned and failed to respond to cockpit inputs, leaving the aircraft without sufficient lift.

Another troubling detail was the aircraft’s landing gear, which remained deployed throughout the short flight, contrary to standard 787 operation, where the wheels are typically retracted as soon as the plane leaves the runway. Experts suspect that the landing gear might have become stuck, causing the pilots to partially retract the flaps in an attempt to reduce drag and maintain climb, which may have inadvertently caused the plane to descend rapidly.

Past Allegations of Faulty Engineering at Boeing

The Boeing 787 has faced multiple allegations of faulty engineering, with some former employees claiming that Boeing’s cost-cutting practices compromised the aircraft’s quality. In 2021, a former engineer at Boeing, Sam Salehpour, raised concerns about defective parts being installed in the Dreamliner due to shoddy evaluation of manufacturing data.

John Barnett, another whistleblower who was later found dead, revealed that quality checks were falsified at a Boeing facility in North Carolina, pointing to issues with emergency oxygen systems and metal shavings posing risks to electrical systems.

However, the Air India Boeing 787 involved in Thursday’s crash was built in Seattle in 2013, before the allegations regarding Boeing’s production flaws emerged.

Boeing’s Troubled Past with the 737 MAX

This tragic incident comes six years after the two deadly 737 MAX crashes that claimed 346 lives, which plunged Boeing into a near-existential crisis. The MAX was grounded globally for more than 18 months after the crashes in 2018 and 2019, which were caused by a flawed software system designed to improve the plane’s handling. This system inadvertently caused the planes to lose control, leading to the crashes.

The Air India Tragedy and Boeing’s Road to Recovery

Air India confirmed that the London Gatwick-bound Flight 171 (AI 171) was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. One passenger survived, the airline said. Dozens of other casualties were on the ground or in buildings at the accident site, which includes a medical school facility.

The crash also comes just days before the Paris Air Show, where Boeing executives were set to announce the company’s recovery from recent production glitches and quality control issues, particularly those involving the 737 MAX.

One notable incident occurred in 2022 when a panel on an Alaska Airlines plane blew out at 16,000 feet, leading to further investigations into production issues at both Boeing and its supplier, Spirit Aerosystems. These continued problems resulted in production slowdowns and a cap on Boeing’s MAX deliveries, reducing the global supply of the aircraft.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, yahoo.com