Former NTSB IG: Boeing 787 FADEC may have caused AirIndia crash

The https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCFfibo9uR4 has interesting discussion about how FADEC had a bug in 2019 [https://avherald.com/h?article=4c2fe53a] and only five years later in 2024 [https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-21144/p-13] quote: The NPRM was prompted by incidents related to erroneous A/T behavior during a balked landing with the A/T engaged (FADEC), potential erroneous readings from the LRRA(radar altimeter), and possible deficiencies in low airspeed protections and crew alerting systems.

The only known fact is that both engines had shut down simultaneously, as confirmed by the Civil Aviation Minister. This either means a fuel problem or a software glitch; FADEC will not allow pilots to shut down engines in flight, but it has authority to do that on it's own.

Speculation: So you have a low-flying plane with electrical issues (blinking lights were reported by the survivor); it loses power after takeoff (survivor reported “plane hung in air”). RAM deploys and FADEC gets readings that are near the ground, it commands engine shutdown.

On Jun 29th 2025 India's Civil Aviation Minister said: "It has never happened that both engines shut down together." Investigators are analyzing the black boxes from every angle including engine issues, fuel supply problem or something else including sabotage. A preliminary report is to be expected in three months.

> The TCMA will instruct the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), which controls all aspects of an aircraft engine’s performance

If it turns out Boeing has another MCAS style "bad software means plane crash" in place that wasn't found & fixed in the last few years, I'd see that as the end of the company.

They've had time to root these things out. Any software commanding the FADEC has authority to cut fuel to the engine and would be in obvious need of review after MCAS

See this recent blancolirio channel upload https://youtu.be/vDNRSx_Rsso?t=106 about FADEC systems if interested in what they do.