Air India replaced module in cockpit in crashed Dreamliner following Boeing directive
TCM includes fuel control switches, which have come to focus in the ongoing probe into the fatal crash as these switches were cut off immediately after takeoff of the ill-fated London-bound Dreamliner VT-ANB that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12.
The replacement of the TCM twice -- in 2019 and 2023 -- was mentioned in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary probe report into the crash that was released on Saturday. It also said the TCM replacement was not linked to the fuel control switches.
The sources told PTI on Sunday that a revised maintenance planning document (MPD) was issued by Boeing for all the operators of the Dreamliners in 2019.
As per the MPD, the operators have to change the TCM, which includes the fuel control switches, every 24,000 flight hours, the sources said.
Since 2019, when the MPD was issued, the source said Air India changed the TCM in the ill-fated aircraft twice -- in 2019 and 2023.
Queries to the Air India remained unanswered.
Specific details about the MPD could not be immediately ascertained.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Air India crash: Are Boeing's fuel switches faulty? Could it have caused the tragedy?
After the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, the Indian aviation regulator and other airlines across the world have ordered checks of the fuel control switches in their Boeing planes. This comes after the fuel switches have come under scrutiny following the initial investigation into the accident. An old advisory that flagged issues with the mechanism of these cogs has also resurfaced read more Remains of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, Thursday in June. File image/PTI Days after the preliminary report on Air India Flight AI-171, which crashed in Ahmedabad in June, highlighted the role of fuel switches, many airlines within India as well as abroad are now investigating this mechanism. India's aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered all airlines, which operate the Boeing's 787 and 737, to check fuel control switch locking mechanisms on them by July 21. Moreover, Etihad Airlines and other major airlines across the world have also started checking the locking mechanism in the fuel switches. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But why? What's going on? We get you the answers. Checks ordered for fuel switches in India and abroad On Monday (July 14), the DGCA ordered all airlines to check fuel switch locking system in Boeing 787, 737 planes in the aftermath of the deadly Air India plane crash that killed 241 passengers on board. The Indian aviation regulator has asked airlines to complete these checks by July 21, next Monday. Currently, only two Indian airlines operate these variants of the plane — Air India and IndiGo. An NDTV report states that Air India has completed checks on 50 per cent of the fleet in question with no malfunctions being found as of yet in the fuel switch's locking mechanism. Notably, Etihad Airlines and airline operators in South Korea have also been asked to carry out checks on fuel control switches. Korean Air Lines, in fact, on Tuesday, announced that it had begun inspecting fuel control switches and would implement any additional requirements the transport ministry may have. Additionally, even Singapore Airlines have started the process. Bloomberg also reported that Oman Air has also completed checks on fuel switches, while Saudi is checking its jets. The investigation underway at the site of the Air India plane crash, in Ahmedabad. PTI Reasons for the checks The DGCA's order and the other checks being carried out comes after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's preliminary report, released last Saturday (July 12), stated that both of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's fuel-control switches moved to the 'cutoff' position. This led to the airplane's engines being starved of fuel and lose power. Moreover, the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other why he had cut off the fuel in the final moments before the crash. The other pilot responded that he had not done so, the report revealed, raising questions about the position of the critical engine fuel cutoff switches. The report doesn't clarify who or how the fuel switches jumped from 'run' to 'cutoff' just after takeoff. Fuel control switches, located on the critical cockpit control panel, are used to start or shut down engines on the ground. What is very important to note here is that these switches cannot be accidentally or gently moved by pilots operating a flight. The fuel cutoff switches are spring-loaded to remain firmly in place. A pilot must first pull the switch up before moving it from the 'run' to the 'cutoff' position, or vice versa. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had flagged a potential issue with fuel control switches on Boeing airplanes in 2018. In a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), NM-18-33, indicated that there was a potential equipment malfunction with the fuel switches. The bulletin had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. In a recommendation, the FAA wrote, 'Inspect the locking feature of the fuel control switch to ensure its engagement. While the airplane is on the ground, check whether the fuel control switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting up the switch. If the switch can be moved without lifting it up, the locking feature has been disengaged and the switch should be replaced at the earliest opportunity.' The wreckage of the Air India plane that crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport, lies on a building, in Ahmedabad. Both switches feeding fuel to the two engines of Air India flight 171 were cut off followed before the plane crashed in Ahmedabad, seconds after taking off, the first investigation report into the crash has revealed. PTI What is notable is that at the time, the FAA did not consider it to be an unsafe condition. Moreover, the AAIB noted that the 'airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition' and Air India did not carry out the inspections as the 'as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The AAIB noted that the throttle control module was replaced on VT-ANB in 2019 and 2023. However, the reason for the replacement was not linked to the fuel control switch. There has been no defect reported pertaining to the fuel control switch since 2023 on VT-ANB,' the AAIB report says. Notably, this is not the first time that airlines and regulators worldwide have stepped away from FAA directives to independently take decisions impacting flight safety. In 2019, various governments and regulators ignored the FAA after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX aircraft crashed. But it wasn't just the US FAA that had issued a bulletin on the fuel switches in Boeing aircraft. It has now emerged that the UK Civil Aviation Authority warned about a similar fuel system flaw. On May 15, 2024, the UK regulator issued a directive to operators of five Boeing aircraft variants urging them to review and address a US Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Directive. The FAA directive had flagged fuel shutoff valve actuators, critical to preventing fuel leaks and engine shutdowns, as a potential safety concern. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The CAA notice explicitly listed the Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787 models and directed airlines to take mandatory action by either testing, inspecting, or replacing fuel shutoff valve actuators on affected planes as a precaution. Moreover, the safety notice specifically ordered daily checks of the fuel shutoff valves to mitigate any risks. With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
Air India crash report analysis: Beyond popular conspiracy theories, there are untold truths
On July 12, India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) released the preliminary report (Air India crash report) on the tragic crash of Air India's AI-171 at Ahmedabad on June 12. As per international rules, a preliminary report should be submitted within 30 days of the accident, with the final report coming within a year. This report, involving a Boeing-787-8 Dreamliner, instead of providing answers, raises more questions. Amazingly, details of this report were published on July 11, about 20 hours prior to its release in India by the USA's Wall Street Journal. The Boeing 787-8 is equipped with two Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFR); one is housed in the forward section of the aircraft, the other in its tail section. The latter EAFR, recovered from the roof of a building on June 13, was found to be substantially damaged. Hence, the AAIB could download flight data and voice recordings from the forward-located EAFR (recovered on June 16), as well as some limited data from the memory card of the tail-section EAFR. The fuel to the Dreamliner's engines is controlled by two mechanisms — the thrusters and the fuel cutoff switches. In simple terms, the thruster acts like accelerator pedals, and increases/decreases the amount of fuel being provided to the engines. The fuel switches, located below the thrusters, cut the fuel supply to engines when turned off, and are primarily meant for turning off the fuel supply when an aircraft is landing in an emergency situation. Importantly, these switches are spring-loaded, and to change its position from RUN to CUTOFF or vice-versa, the pilot has to first pull the switch upwards, and then move it from one position to the other. As per the report, which cites EAFR data, the aircraft: • After reaching requisite speed, started to lift-off at 08:08:35 UTC, and its air/ground sensors transitioned to air mode at 08:08:39 UTC. • It achieved the maximum recorded airspeed of 180 knots at about 08:08:42 UTC. • At 08:08:52 UTC, the fuel cutoff switch of Engine-1 transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position, followed by same for Engine-2 after 01 second. Starved of fuel, both engines began to lose power. • This loss of power led to automatic deployment of the APU/Ramjet Air Turbine between 08:08:47 and 08:08:54 UTC (this provides emergency electrical power for critical functions). • The Cockpit Voice Recorder shows one of the pilots asking the other why did he cutoff, with the other pilot responding that he did not do so. • At 08:08:56 UTC, the fuel cutoff switches transitioned back from CUTOFF to RUN, after which the aircraft's automated system attempted re-starting the engines. • Engine-1's deceleration stopped and it's thrust started to recover, but Engine-2's core speed deceleration couldn't be stopped in spite of repeated fuel introductions. • One of the pilots transmitted a 'MAYDAY' call at 08:09:05 UTC; the EAFR recording stopped at 08:09:11 UTC. • At the crash site, both fuel Cutoff switches were found in 'RUN' position, with indications that re-lighting of both engines was attempted before the low-altitude crash. • The report concludes that 'all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied [with] on the aircraft as well as engines', and no mechanical/maintenance faults/lapses were found. The report does not say anything about how or why the fuel switches flipped from RUN to CUTOFF position during the flight, nor does it clarify which pilot asked 'why did you cutoff?' and which pilot responded that he did not. Besides, there is no comment as yet from other agencies/firms involved in the crash investigation – the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), or Boeing. The NTSB has merely thanked the AAIB while noting that there were no recommended actions in the report aimed at operators of Boeing 787 airliners or its GE (GEnx) engines. In a country where most dire events tend to be ascribed to some 'hand', foreign or internal, and outlandish/scurrilous reports are put out for bettering media TRPs, the AAIB report's ambiguity has spawned a number of conspiracy theories. One theory attributes the crash to deliberate, suicidal pilot action. On July 13, the Indian Commercial Pilots Association stated, '…deeply disturbed by speculative narratives, … particularly the reckless and unfounded insinuation of pilot suicide. There is absolutely no basis for such a claim at this stage… to casually suggest pilot suicide without verified evidence is a gross violation of ethical reporting and a disservice to the dignity of the profession.' Another postulates that one of the pilots inadvertently flipped the fuel cutoff switches — which leads to a question: Since switches need to be pulled up for a resetting, a pilot perhaps could have absent-mindedly flipped one switch. But both? Another outlandish one talks of a 'cyber/electronic warfare vehicle' of China/commercial competitor of Boeing, near Ahmedabad airport, jamming the Dreamliner's 'fly-by-wire' system and causing it to crash. The list goes on. All this, in spite of simpler explanations. On Jan 17, 2019, both engines of a Boeing 787-8 of All-Nippon Airways flight NH-985 had similarly shut down after a fuel cutoff just as it touched down; it continued to roll and, on stopping, had to be towed. Earlier, the FAA's Special Airworthiness Bulletin (SAIB) of December 17, 2018, had flagged potential disengagement of the fuel cutoff switch in Boeing aircraft, including the 787-8, and recommended their inspection to ensure they didn't move accidentally. According to the AAIB report, Air India confirmed it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections, as the same weren't mandatory. On July 14, however, India's DGCA ordered all Indian airlines operating the Boeing 787 and 737 planes to inspect these switches by July 21, adding that several international operators had acted on the FAA's advisory. Unfortunately, no one wants to wait for the exhaustive, conclusive final report. The remarks of Air India CEO Campbell Wilson merit consideration: The preliminary report has 'triggered a new round of speculation in the media … identified no cause nor made any recommendations, so I urge everyone to avoid drawing premature conclusions as the investigation is far from over.' The writer is a retired Brigadier from the Indian Army
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
10 hours ago
- First Post
Just weeks before Air India crash, UK regulator flagged fuel switch issues in Boeing jets: Report
Just weeks before the deadly crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had warned of potential fuel control problems in several Boeing aircraft models, including the 787 Dreamliner. read more Just four weeks before the fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 in Ahmedabad, the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had raised red flags over fuel control issues in several Boeing aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner, India Today reported. On 15 May, the UK CAA issued a Safety Notice urging airlines operating five Boeing aircraft models—including the 787—to check if their fleets were affected by a US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directive. The FAA had flagged potential safety risks linked to the aircraft's fuel shutoff valve actuators. The UK regulator advised that daily inspections be conducted to mitigate any risks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a safety alert over a potential risk linked to fuel shutoff valves used in several Boeing aircraft models, including the 737, 757, 767, 777, and 787. Referring to an Airworthiness Directive (AD) from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the CAA has advised airlines to act swiftly by testing, inspecting, or replacing the fuel shutoff valve actuators on the affected planes as a precaution. Following early findings from the investigation into the 12 June crash of Air India flight AI-171, major international airlines have begun checking the fuel control switch locking mechanisms on their Boeing 787 fleets, according to reports. This move comes after a preliminary investigation report was released into the crash of Air India flight AI-171, which claimed 270 lives. On 13 July, Etihad Airways issued an internal directive instructing engineers to inspect the locking systems on its Boeing 787 aircraft, specifically mentioning the plane registered as A6-BLI. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published its initial report on 12 July, revealing that the fuel control switches on the Air India aircraft moved from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' just three seconds after take-off. Cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot asking, 'Why did you cut off (the fuel supply)?' to which the other replied that he had not done so, according to the AAIB. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
