New Delhi, September 19 (IANS). The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has asked the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to conduct a comprehensive investigation of all electrical, electronic and avionics related evidence in the ongoing investigation into the crash of Boeing 787 aircraft of Air India flight AI-171.
FIP Chairman Captain CS Randhawa said in a letter that all available technical information should be examined to strengthen aviation security.
The pilots' organization also referred to several letters and technical notes that it had earlier given to the Civil Aviation Ministry, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the investigating agency. In these, the issue of problems related to electrical systems encountered in Boeing 787 aircraft and their possible connection with the accident that happened with the aircraft VT-ANB in June 2025 was raised.
FIP said the investigating agency should also carefully examine the technical material provided by the Foundation for Aviation Safety. It is reported that this includes documents related to the aircraft's operating history, maintenance, recurring system errors and malfunction signals.
According to the pilots' organisation, the AAIB has acknowledged receiving this information and it has been reviewed by a UK AAIB expert.
According to FIP, the Boeing 787 uses highly integrated 'more electric aircraft' technology. In such a situation, systems like power generation, power distribution, monitoring and data networks play an important role in the safe operation of the aircraft.
The organization says that a simultaneous examination of records of recurring technical malfunctions, intermittent failures, power supply interruptions, software resets, sensor-related errors and problems encountered during maintenance can provide important information in determining the cause of the accident.
FIP has sought a detailed review of the aircraft's past maintenance and reliability data. This includes technical log entries, defects left to be repaired, reports of recurring problems, records related to problem detection, replacement equipment, reliability monitoring data and information on engineering improvements made during the aircraft's service life.
The federation also sought an in-depth examination of the electrical power generation and distribution systems, integrated modular avionics, flight management and flight-control computers, battery systems, power-control units and the aircraft's data networks.
FIP said investigators must match information from the flight recorder to the aircraft health monitoring system, ACARS transmissions, maintenance databases, reports from built-in test equipment and service records from the aircraft manufacturer. This can help in understanding various technical aspects together in investigating the causes of the accident.
–IANS
AMT/DKP