The existence of a 2006 Boeing patent outlining a remote-controlled aircraft override system has resurfaced following the preliminary findings into the crash of Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June, killing 260 people.
The existence of a 2006 Boeing patent outlining a remote-controlled aircraft override system has resurfaced following the preliminary findings into the crash of Air India Flight AI171, which crashed in Ahmedabad on 12 June, killing 260 people.
The patent, registered as US7142971B2 and granted to Boeing on 28 November 2006, is titled “Method and system for automatically controlling a path of travel of a vehicle.”
The design which was filed in 2003, was developed in the post-9/11 terror attacks and the resultant security environment.
It, if implemented, allowed the system to take full remote control of a commercial aircraft in the event of a hijacking. As described in the patent, the system would override onboard pilot controls, reroute the aircraft automatically to a safe landing site, and prevent manual intervention by any individual on board.
According to the patent, activation of the system could occur through ground-based signals or onboard triggers, including cockpit switches or sensors detecting unauthorized access. The concept includes redundant controls and an independent power supply to function even if aircraft systems are compromised.
If implemented, the control of such a system would rest with a designated authority on the ground, not the flight crew. The patent describes the remote link as being managed by an “authorized ground-based operator,” such as a national security agency or civil aviation authority—potentially entities like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Similarly, Honeywell, one of Boeing’s primary avionics suppliers, also filed a similar patent—US7475851B2—in 2003, which was granted in 2009. It describes a comparable uninterrupted autopilot control system designed to take command of an aircraft in emergencies.
Like Boeing, Honeywell was exploring such systems in the context of anti-hijacking scenarios and drone/autopilot adaptation. The company has long been involved in developing advanced avionics for both civilian and military aircraft.
The renewed attention to these patents follows the release of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report into the crash of AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner registered as VT-ANB. The report confirmed that both engine fuel control switches moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” within a one-second interval shortly after takeoff, resulting in a complete loss of thrust. The Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder (EAFR) data showed this transition occurred at an altitude of approximately 430 feet. Cockpit voice recordings indicated confusion in the cockpit, with one pilot asking, “Why did you cutoff?” and the other replying, “I didn’t do so.”
While the cause of this dual engine shutdown remains under investigation, the AAIB has not found any evidence of pilot error, nor has it reached a conclusion on whether the cutoff was triggered by a mechanical fault, software anomaly, or other system behavior. The report does not mention sabotage or external intervention.
There is no evidence that the patented Boeing or Honeywell systems have ever been installed in commercial aircraft. There are no publicly available regulatory certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), or any other civil aviation body permitting the operational deployment of such technology.
Boeing has not publicly acknowledged implementation of the patented remote override system, and no airline has disclosed its presence onboard.
This Boeing's patented technology has in the past too drawn attention.
In the aftermath of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 March in 2014—a Boeing 777-200ER that vanished from radar while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing—public interest turned briefly toward Boeing's anti-hijack patent. However, official investigations into MH370, including reports issued by Malaysian and international aviation authorities, did not link any such system to the aircraft or its disappearance.
