New Delhi, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to undertake a comprehensive examination of electrical, electronic and avionics-related evidence as part of its ongoing investigation into the Air India AI-171 Boeing 787 crash.
In a letter to the AAIB, FIP President Capt. CS Randhawa stressed that all available technical information should be examined to strengthen aviation safety.
The pilots’ body referred to multiple letters and technical notes it had previously submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the investigation agency concerning reported electrical system issues on Boeing 787 aircraft and their possible relevance to the June 2025 accident involving aircraft VT-ANB.
FIP said the investigation should carefully assess technical material submitted by the Foundation for Aviation Safety (FAS), which reportedly contains documentation on the aircraft’s operational history, maintenance actions, recurring system anomalies and fault indications.
The pilots’ association also noted that the AAIB had acknowledged receiving and reviewing the information through a UK AAIB expert.
According to FIP, the Boeing 787’s highly integrated “More Electric Aircraft” architecture makes electrical generation, distribution, monitoring and data-network systems critical to safe operation.
It said recurring technical faults, intermittent failures, power interruptions, software resets, sensor discrepancies and maintenance troubleshooting records could collectively provide important clues to the cause of the accident.
FIP called for a detailed review of historical maintenance and reliability data, including technical log entries, deferred defects, repetitive fault reports, troubleshooting records, component replacements, reliability monitoring data and engineering corrective actions carried out throughout the aircraft’s service life.
The federation also sought closer examination of electrical power generation and distribution systems, Integrated Modular Avionics, flight management and flight-control computers, battery systems, power-control units and aircraft data networks.
Investigators should also correlate information from flight recorders, Aircraft Health Monitoring (AHM) systems, ACARS transmissions, maintenance databases, Built-In Test Equipment reports and manufacturer service records, the pilots’ body said.
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