AAIB initial report on Ahmedabad plane crash, Fault in fuel switch could be a major reason

The preliminary report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), released nearly a month after the Ahmedabad-London flight accident of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has pointed to an important reason – the fuel switch of the aircraft being turned off.

Technical background of the accident

According to the AAIB report, during the conversation between the two pilots at the time of the accident, it was revealed that one asked the other, “Why did you turn off the fuel switch?” to which the answer was, “I did not.” It is being speculated that the pilots tried to turn the fuel switch on again, but it was too late by then. Due to the fuel switch being turned off, the flow of fuel in both the engines stopped, which is believed to be a major reason for the accident.

Clarification of Boeing and FAA

However, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have clarified that the design and locking features of the fuel switch are safe. They denied the need for any airworthiness directive and said that “this cannot be considered a dangerous situation.” But questions are being raised on social media about this clarification, whether the US government is protecting Boeing?

Thrust Control Module remained under suspicion

The report also revealed that the Thrust Control Module (TCM) — which contains the fuel control switches — was replaced by Air India in 2019 and 2023. This module has now become the center of investigation.

History of technical and design issues

Battery failure: All 787 aircraft were grounded in 2013 after lithium-ion batteries caught fire

Manufacturing defects: The quality of body joints and carbon fiber parts was questioned between 2020–22

Engine failure and electrical problems: Technical complaints were reported in GE and Rolls-Royce engines, as well as windshield cracks and software glitches

MCAS system flaw: Boeing 737 Max was grounded after two major crashes (2018 and 2019) resulted in 346 deaths

Dark history of crashes

Boeing has had more than 6000 plane accidents in 108 years, in which about 9000 people lost their lives. Many of these incidents were caused by serious technical lapses.

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