Yet when a Boeing 787 Dreamliner crashed soon after takeoff, Boeing complained that regulators hadn’t reacted accordingly. This is an important and decidedly tragic milestone as the first fatal crash with this model of aircraft. It was the first major crash in over five years, with dozens of people killed and sending shockwaves throughout the aviation world. This accident is already one of the deadliest plane crashes so far this year, as investigators look into a number of operational causes.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner made its first flight in December 2013. Air India took delivery of the aircraft in January 2014. Since then, more than 1,100 Dreamliners have been delivered and are currently flying around the world – a testament to the aircraft’s success and popularity with airlines. Unfortunately, this tragic event has put a dark cloud over its otherwise stellar operational history.
The collision occurred during the most unforgiving phase of the departure. The plane’s last reported altitude was only 625 feet before it disappeared from radar. Reports indicate that the last contact with the Boeing 787 transpired at 1:38 p.m. local time, less than a minute after takeoff. This sudden severing of contact and guidance has cast doubt over not just the plane itself, but its operational standard procedures.
Before this latest Dreamliner incident, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner train had already left the station. The aircraft experienced a months-long inspection grounding after main lithium battery fires soon after its 2011 introduction to service. Dreamliner deliveries suffered a huge blow. Stopped for almost a year due to production defects related to misalignment of fuselage parts, they began again in mid-2022. A whistleblower alleged that Boeing made safety cuts in its production lines to relieve bottlenecks. This irresponsible move exerted far too much pressure on the crucial hinges of their planes.
These past problems may seem like a shocking claim. The recent crash, according to some aviation experts, is likely not related to either manufacturing or production defects. Jeff Guzzetti, an aviation safety expert, stated, “I don’t think this is a manufacturing or production issue.” He elaborated on the circumstances of the crash, noting, “It appears the airplane got off the runway with no problem but for some reason was unable to climb.”
Investigators will look deeply at many different elements leading up to the crash. They’ll look at the state of the airline’s maintenance records. They will reexamine pilot training protocols to determine what led to the causes of this terrible incident. These areas of focus will likely include the mechanical and operational compliance from an investigation standpoint to figure out what went wrong on takeoff.
Production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has flown relatively smoothly over the last decade. It has received widespread recognition for its stellar fuel economy and innovative technology. Given the circumstances of this incident, questions must be raised about their record on safety and their ability to operate reliably in the future.