'Too many managers, not enough engineers': Elon Musk's Boeing dig resurfaces after Air India crash

Time of India

3 hours ago

An Air India Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad's
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
on 12 June, leaving 241 dead, including all but one on board.
The aircraft,
Flight AI-171
bound for London, struck a nearby medical college complex shortly after becoming airborne. Several people on the ground also lost their lives. Officials confirmed that the only surviving passenger was seated in 11A.
The crash happened within 11 seconds of takeoff. Witnesses reported a loud explosion followed by a fireball. Emergency responders arrived swiftly, but the devastation was total.
'Too many non‑technical managers at Boeing': Elon Musk's tweet resurfaces
In the middle of the ongoing crisis, a tweet from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has resurfaced and gone viral. Musk had written in May 2024:
'Although Boeing got $4.2 billion to develop an astronaut capsule and SpaceX only got $2.6 billion, SpaceX finished 4 years sooner. Note, the crew capsule design of Dragon 2 has almost nothing in common with Dragon 1. Too many non‑technical managers at Boeing.'
Live Events
Musk's comparison of Boeing's Starliner delays to SpaceX's Dragon 2 programme was widely circulated at the time. The post has now gained renewed attention following the Air India tragedy, with critics questioning Boeing's safety culture and leadership structure.
A 2023 NASA audit had also flagged cost overruns and inefficiencies in Boeing's commercial crew programme. Musk's remarks seem to align with those concerns.
One black box found, investigation gains pace
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has recovered one of the aircraft's two black boxes — the flight data recorder — from the rooftop of the medical hostel struck during the crash.
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu called the recovery 'an important step forward in the investigation' and added it would 'significantly aid the enquiry into the incident.' The black box was found within 28 hours of the crash.
Search crews are still trying to locate the second black box, believed to be lodged in the cockpit area.
DGCA orders emergency inspections of Air India's Boeing fleet
Following the crash, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has instructed Air India to conduct comprehensive safety and maintenance inspections of all Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft powered by Genx engines.
These checks, effective from 15 June, include:
Inspection of fuel monitoring systems
Review of cabin air compressors
Electronic engine control tests
Operational tests on fuel-driven actuators
Hydraulic system serviceability assessments
Analysis of take-off parameter records
Additionally, transit inspections must now include flight control checks, and all power assurance checks are to be completed within two weeks. Air India must also close out any recurring snags recorded in the last 15 days.
All reports from these inspections are to be submitted to the DGCA for further action.
Centre forms high-level committee to investigate crash
The Indian government has constituted a high-level inquiry committee headed by the Union Home Secretary. The panel includes the Secretary of Civil Aviation, a representative from Gujarat, and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The committee will work alongside AAIB to determine the cause of the crash. The pilot's last communication to air traffic control has not been made public, but officials confirmed a Mayday call was issued just before the plane went down.
Images of grief have filled television screens and social media feeds. Among them was a viral video of the pilot's elderly parents bidding farewell to their son — a scene that drew national attention.
While families mourn their loved ones, the country waits for answers. The black box data, once fully analysed, is expected to provide crucial details on what caused a modern Dreamliner to fall out of the sky in just seconds.
As the probe deepens and fingers begin to point, Boeing's global safety record and internal leadership practices are likely to come under even sharper focus.