Boeing 787 Dreamliner's Long History of Safety Concerns
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The crash happened just weeks after the company cut a deal with the U.S. government to avoid taking criminal responsibility for a pair of deadly crashes in 2018 and 2019.
The Air India crash has turned the spotlight back on John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who, police say, died by suicide in 2024 after lawyers questioned him about his whistleblowing on alleged jumbo jet defects.
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner faces renewed scrutiny after Air India flight AI 171 crash—the first fatal 787-8 incident. With a history of technical faults, whistleblower claims, and FAA probes, the crash raises fresh concerns over Boeing’s safety practices amid continued orders from Indian airlines.
An FAA audit revealed multiple issues in production practices and cited “gaps” in the company’s safety culture, including a disconnect between management and frontline employees and widespread fear of retaliation for reporting safety concerns.