Al Root

Boeing stock was edging higher on Wednesday as investors considered reports about what might have caused the tragic 787 crash.

Shares of the commercial airplane maker were 0.1% higher in premarket trading at $200.51, while S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were both up 0.3%.

Coming into Tuesday, Boeing stock has fallen about $14, or $6.4%, since Thursday when Air India flight 171 bound for the U.K. crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 on board. The plane was powered by two GEnx engines made by GE Aerospace. Its shares were down 3.7% since Thursday.

No official statements have been made yet, but videos appear to show the 787 deploying its Ram Air Turbine, or RAT, shortly before the crash.

RATs are an automatically deployed emergency system designed to provide some electricity and hydraulic power in the event of significant power loss. Essentially, it's a twin prop turbine that spins in the headwind, generating power.

Investigators believe that the plane's RAT emergency system was operating when it crashed, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the investigation.

What's more, the sole survivor of the crash, 40-year-old Vishwashkumar Ramesh, said he heard a loud noise before the crash and the lights flicker.

Flickering lights and RAT deployment could indicate that both engines failed. That's speculation. Even if correct, that wouldn't tell anyone why the engines failed. It would only be a piece of the puzzle.

Boeing and GE Aerospace didn't comment about RAT deployment, adding they are deferring to India's investigators. That shouldn't surprise investors. In aerospace investigations, companies and international aviation authorities always defer to lead investigators after a crash.

Both of the plane's black boxes, the voice and data recorders, have been recovered. Hopefully, that will allow officials to piece together exactly what happened in the coming days.

Write to Al Root at allen.root@dowjones.com

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June 18, 2025 05:57 ET (09:57 GMT)

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