On Thursday, June 12th, an Indian Boeing 787 aircraft crashed, resulting in the tragic deaths of 241 passengers on board, with only one survivor, shocking the international community. Upon the incident, US officials immediately launched an investigation into the aircraft and announced later that evening that no safety concerns necessitating the grounding of Boeing 787s have been identified.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday evening, stating that there is no need to ground Boeing 787s. They mentioned having reviewed relevant videos of the Indian plane crash incident.
Duffy stated that he has spoken with National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Jennifer Homendy and that the NTSB and FAA will form an investigative team to travel to India to determine the cause of the accident. Both Boeing and engine manufacturer GE Aerospace are set to assist in the investigation.
Duffy emphasized the importance of conducting on-site inspections, reaffirming that drawing any conclusions at this stage would be premature. He stressed that assessing the situation through videos is not a definitive or wise way to understand the sequence of events.
Currently, the FAA, Boeing, and GE Aerospace are reviewing pertinent data, with the FAA preparing to allocate additional resources to acquire the necessary information for flight safety.
FAA Acting Administrator Rocheleau stated, “During the investigation process, should any risk information emerge, we will take corresponding risk control measures.”
Duffy emphasized that the US government will readily adopt all safety recommendations without hesitation, prioritizing facts and safety considerations above all else. Safety is always the paramount concern in such cases.