'Air India Boeing Crash A Tragedy Waiting To Happen': Ex-Crew Members' Explosive Letter To PM Modi

In a bombshell of a letter to PM Modi, fired Air India crew said that the June 12 crash was avoidable. They claimed safety warnings on Boeing 787 jets were ignored.

Debris of the Air India plane stuck in the Ahmedabad doctors' hostel, into which it crashed.

Source : PTI

In an explosive revelation following the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad on June 12, two former senior cabin crew members have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the accident was "waiting to happen". They said it was preventable and that tell-tale warning signs were repeatedly ignored by both Air India and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In their detailed letter dated June 19, the ex-crew members claim they were terminated last year after raising red flags about technical defects in Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft — issues they say were suppressed by top officials. They are now demanding a full-fledged CBI probe, alleging a deliberate cover-up that compromised passenger safety.

"We would like to place on record that the said accident was waiting to happen as our various statements and contentions relating to the technical aspects and defects in the Aircraft – (Dreamliner Aircraft B787/8 Series), were deliberately pulled under the carpet, ignored, overlooked or not considered seriously for reasons best known to Air India Ltd management (AI) and the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)," the letter read.

Warning After Previous Incident

The crew had operated AI 129 from Mumbai to London on May 14, 2024, aboard Dreamliner VT-ANQ, during which a critical emergency slide malfunctioned. Despite confirmation by the captain and cabin in-charge that the aircraft door was set to manual mode — a serious safety lapse — the whistleblowers allege they were pressured to change their statements. When they refused, they were fired without a departmental inquiry.

"Both of us, Cabin Crew had to pay a heavy price in the form of termination / removal from the service of Air India for our frank, blunt and outspoken statements relating to the serious incident which occurred on 14/05/2024, involving another Dreamliner Aircraft VT-ANQ due to technical malfunction, which they – the Air India Officials wanted to falsely foist on us even though the initial reports of the pilots and others who witnessed the incident were fraudulently asked to change their versions/reports," they wrote.

What Air India Said About The Claim

Air India later responded to the allegations. In a statement, Air India, without naming the personnel, said: "The said cabin crew members were terminated for their misconduct and behaviour." Air India further alleged that they crew members falsified critical information during the course of an investigation. "The said investigation was launched after an emergency slide was activated while opening the aircraft door post landing," Air India acknowledged.

"The two former employees were provided with multiple fair opportunities to reconsider their statements, which may have been given inadvertently, as revealed in the investigations undertaken. It was clear in the investigations that the slide could not have been activated unless the door was disarmed and in manual mode. This was corroborated by relevant data, images and video evidence as well as -party experts," the airline said.

"It is regrettable that the former cabin crew members are using the tragedy of AI-171 to repeat their falsehood, which has been clearly established in our investigation," it said.

Jobs Terminated For Refusal To Change Statement

They also accused DGCA of failing to investigate the May 2024 incident, despite acknowledging it via email and promising an "informal discussion". Nearly nine months later, they said, no report has been issued. "As both of us refused to change our statements with a view to highlighting the safety concerns of Aircraft B787, the Management unilaterally and arbitrarily, without holding any departmental enquiry in gross abuse of the powers vested in them, terminated our services," they alleged.

The letter, sent along with documented proof and a complaint registered with the Central Vigilance Commission, urges the Prime Minister to intervene and initiate an impartial probe. “We have put in nearly 20 years of unblemished service,” the letter reads, “and our only concern has been the safety of passengers.”

189 Bodies Of AI-171 Victims Handed Over To Families

So far, 189 bodies of the victims of flight AI-171, which crashed on June 12, have been handed over to the families. Ahmedabad Civil Hospital Superintendent Rakesh Joshi confirmed that DNA matching has been completed for 211 samples.

Among the deceased are seven Portuguese nationals, 32 British citizens, and one Canadian national.