Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: DGCA asks airlines to check fuel switch locking system in Boeing 737, 787 jets
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), back in 2018, had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. It was mentioned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) but there was no airworthiness directive, indicating that the issue was not a safety concern.
'It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators- internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the SAIB NM-18-33 dated 17th December 2018. In the view of above all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection required,' the DGCA said in an order.
Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel into aircraft engines.
A senior official didn't immediately confirm which operators would be impacted. Air India operates Boeing 787 aircraft, and Air India Express and SpiceJet operate Boeing 737 aircraft.
Though IndiGo too has Boeing 787 aircraft, but since these are leased from a foreign airline they won't be subjected to this order, one senior DGCA official explained.
In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take off.
'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do the same,' the report said.
However, AAIB did not mention any recommended action.
Air India flight AI 171, operated with the Boeing 787-8, enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people.
(with PTI inputs)
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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. 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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. 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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. 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