(OT Webdesk)The tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that claimed 260 lives last month is now under deep investigation, with startling revelations sparking industry-wide concern.
Despite replacing a critical throttle control module twice—in 2019 and 2023—Air India’s aircraft suffered a catastrophic failure just seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad en route to London.
According to officials, both fuel control switches inexplicably flipped to “CUTOFF”, disabling both engines. Cockpit voice recordings revealed confusion among the pilots, who denied manually cutting the fuel supply.
Although efforts were made to reset the switches to “RUN,” the engines could not recover, causing the jet to crash into a nearby building.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) reported that while Air India complied with mandatory safety directives, it did not perform a 2018 FAA-recommended check on the locking mechanisms of the switches, citing its optional status.
Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration continue to defend the design’s safety integrity, but experts and safety advocates now question how airlines weigh optional advisories within broader risk frameworks.
A final AAIB report is expected in the coming months and could reshape maintenance protocol discussions across the aviation industry.
