Boeing Blew Off Safety Warnings Before India Crash?

On a humid Thursday morning in Ahmedabad, India, Air India Flight 171 climbed into the sky and then dropped from it just 30 seconds later. The crash left over 270 people dead and ignited new scrutiny of one of the world's most prominent aircraft manufacturers.

But what's even more disturbing? Someone may have seen it coming a year in advance.

A Voice Lost, Then Heard Again

In early 2024, former Boeing quality manager John Barnett sat down for an interview and issued a haunting warning. He alleged that Boeing was prioritizing cost-cutting over quality checks on several aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner — the very model that would later crash in India.

Barnett claimed Boeing had been reducing inspection crews and removing essential oversight for more than a decade. Though much of the public focus at the time was on issues with the 737, he specifically called out the Dreamliner's production process.

Months after making these allegations public, Barnett died by suicide while engaged in a legal battle against Boeing. The company later settled a wrongful death lawsuit with his family.

A Catastrophic Crash With Unanswered Questions

On the day of the crash, June 12, Flight 171 was bound for London. Within moments of takeoff, the crew issued a mayday call before the plane plunged to the ground. Only one of the 242 people on board survived. Dozens more people on the ground also died.

Investigators have not yet determined what caused the crash. Mechanical failure has not been ruled out, but the aircraft's black boxes — recovered from a nearby rooftop — are expected to reveal more in the coming weeks.

Not the First Warning

Barnett was not alone in raising concerns. Boeing engineer Sam Salehpour told a U.S. Senate panel that the Dreamliner had been built using shortcuts. He alleged gaps in the fuselage were not shimmed properly 98.7% of the time, an oversight that could cause structural fatigue over time.

Another former FAA engineer, Joe Jacobsen, said regulators had given too much leeway to Boeing, claiming the company dictated safety standards to the FAA rather than complying with them. "The FAA needs ... to do their job," Jacobsen said in the same report, according to ABC3340.

Boeing's Response and Financial Fallout

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed condolences to the victims and pledged full support for India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is now leading the probe.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the passengers and crew," Ortberg said according to TMZ.

The company's stock dropped nearly 5% following the crash.

This follows a string of costly setbacks, including a $160 million payout for a midair door blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max and a $428 million settlement with Southwest Airlines over the same aircraft model.

Boeing narrowly avoided criminal prosecution in May 2025 by reaching a $1.1 billion agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice over fraud charges linked to two fatal 737 Max crashes. As part of that deal, the company admitted to conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation related to earlier crashes.

Is the System Broken?

Though no official cause has been confirmed, the India crash has reignited debate about whether internal safety warnings were ignored — again.

Attorney Bob Clifford, who represents families of prior crash victims, told ABC3340, "If this is a system failure for Boeing, that was known to the degree that they were covering it up, then obviously, this could speak to the decline and maybe ultimate decline of the company."

He urged the public to let investigators do their job and warned that any findings of misconduct could influence whether Boeing is held criminally accountable in the future.

Despite reassurances of progress, critics argue that trust in the skies shouldn't hinge on whistleblowers being brave enough, and lucky enough, to be heard in time.

References: Boeing Whistleblower Warned About Dreamliner Jet Year Before India Crash | What Does the Air India Crash Mean for Boeing? | Air India Crash Rekindles Whistleblowers' Safety Concerns Over Boeing's Manufacturing Flaws | Bodies Of 259 Air India Crash Victims Have Been Identified