Ricky Kej reveals how he narrowly escaped 2019 crash: 'Boeing was responsible for those deaths'

Grammy-winning Indian composer Ricky Kej has made a shocking revelation about a time when he was about to board a flight that later tragically crashed. Kej, who has previously criticised airlines for their poor service, has once again spoken out, this time against Boeing, following the release of an investigation report on the Ahmedabad plane crash, which many believe was unfair.

The June 12 crash of Air India Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, in Ahmedabad, India, sent shockwaves around the globe. Just 32 seconds after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, the aircraft crashed, killing 242 people on board. Remarkably, only one person, seated in seat 11A, survived the crash.

On Saturday (July 12), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released its investigation report, revealing that the fuel supply to both engines had been set to CUTOFF mode just seconds after takeoff. In response to the findings, the Pilots’ Association of India reacted, saying that the investigation appears to be stating that the pilots were at fault.

Grammy Winner Ricky Kej's 2019 flight that crashed

On June 12, Kej revealed how narrowly he escaped the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Boeing crash, calling out Boeing. Responding to a post on X, Kej wrote, "Absolutely agree. This is from the Boeing playbook. Blame the pilots and settle lawsuits quietly. Control the narrative. They did the same with the two 737 Max crashes in 2019."

He went on to share his personal experience when he was about to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Kenya that crashed.

"I had booked a ticket on the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Kenya that unfortunately crashed. In the last minute, a colleague insisted I travel on an earlier flight, so my life was saved. Many attendees were killed on the flight. So this is personal for me, because Boeing and only Boeing was responsible for those deaths."

Calling Boeing accountable for the crash, he questioned how 'zero accountability' has been imposed by Boeing.

"Exactly.. the Ethiopian crash happened after the LION air crash. 2 crashes within 5 months. Boeing did the same, blamed the pilots.. also implied that non-western pilots are not as good. Then it turned out that the planes had a hidden MCAS system which malfunctioned. The system was kept hidden from the pilots and even the flight manual. So the pilots had to deal with a disastrous malfunction of a faulty system they did not even know existed on the plane!! Till this day, NO ONE from Boeing has been disciplined or fired for this. No heads rolled. Zero accountability, except for some pay outs. They do not care about lives.. and never will. Only profits," Kej added.

For the unversed, the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed on March 10, 2019, killing all people on board.