Air India replaced fuel module twice before 787 crash; FAA, Boeing say design safe

Air India had replaced a critical cockpit module known as the Throttle Control Module (TCM)—which houses the fuel control switches—twice on its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration VT-ANB) before the tragic crash that killed 260 people on June 12 in Ahmedabad. The TCM was changed in 2019 and 2023 following Boeing’s Maintenance Planning Document (MPD) that requires replacement every 24,000 flight hours.

Also Read: ‘Why did You cut the fuel?’- AAIB report reveals cockpit confusion behind Ahmedabad Air India Incident

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in India noted the TCM changes in its preliminary report, confirming that the replacements were routine and not linked to any known defect. However, the investigation is focusing on the unexpected movement of the fuel control switches to the “CUTOFF” position seconds after takeoff, which disabled both engines and caused the aircraft to crash into a building.

Despite this line of investigation, both the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have reiterated that the design of the fuel switch locking mechanism is safe. The FAA issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11, stating that the situation does not warrant a formal Airworthiness Directive. Boeing also issued a message to global 787 operators recommending no immediate action.

Air India acknowledged that it did not act on a 2018 FAA advisory recommending inspection of the switch locks, since it was not mandatory.