Latest news with #fuelcontrolswitch
UAE Moments
6 hours ago
- Business
- UAE Moments
Air India Finds No Faults in Boeing 787 and 737 Fuel Control Switches
Air India has confirmed that all fuel control switch locking mechanisms on its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft are functioning properly, following a round of precautionary inspections sparked by safety concerns. The airline said the checks, which began voluntarily on July 12, revealed no faults or irregularities across its fleet. India's aviation regulator later directed all domestic airlines to follow suit, triggering similar inspections by international carriers and regulators. The inspections come as investigators continue to examine the deadly Air India crash that killed 241 of the 242 people onboard, along with 19 others on the ground. The focus of the probe has zeroed in on the fuel control switches of the Boeing 787 jetliner. These switches manage fuel flow to the engines and allow pilots to shut them off during ground operations or inflight emergencies. A preliminary report released earlier this month by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) noted the switches flipped from 'run' to 'cutoff' shortly after takeoff, leading to engine failure. The AAIB has stated, however, that it's too early to reach final conclusions. Citing past documentation, the report referenced a 2018 FAA advisory that urged operators of multiple Boeing aircraft, including the 787, to inspect fuel switch locking mechanisms to avoid accidental movements. Although Reuters reported that a cockpit recording suggested the captain may have cut fuel to the engines, the AAIB emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and a final report is expected within a year. Despite the broader probe, Air India maintains that its aircraft are safe. The airline uses Boeing 787s for its long-haul international routes and 737s through its low-cost subsidiary, Air India Express. Meanwhile, both Boeing and the FAA have reassured operators that the fuel switch locks remain safe, according to internal communications cited by Reuters.
Washington Post
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- Washington Post
Air India says no issues in locking mechanism of fuel control switches in Boeing fleet
NEW DELHI — Air India said Tuesday that it had completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of fuel control switches for select Boeing aircrafts, with 'no issues' found. The announcement came days after a preliminary investigation into last month's Air India plane crash stated that the switches shifted and flipped within seconds, starving both engines of fuel.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Air India says no issues found in checks of Boeing 787 fuel switches as attention turns to crash pilot
Air India has completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switch locking mechanisms across its Boeing 787 and 737 fleet, the airline confirmed on Tuesday, reporting no issues. This action follows an ongoing probe into a devastating Air India crash, which killed 241 of 242 people on board and 19 on the ground. The investigation is focused on the fuel control switches of the Boeing 787 jetliner involved. These critical switches manage fuel flow to aircraft engines, allowing pilots to start or shut them down, or manually intervene during in-flight engine failures. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) expects its final report within a year. Air India began voluntary inspections of the switches on July 12. India's aviation regulator soon ordered all domestic carriers to conduct similar checks, prompting some foreign airlines and regulators to follow suit. A preliminary report from the AAIB earlier this month found the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from 'run' to 'cutoff' shortly after takeoff, causing the engines to lose power. The report cited a 2018 FAA advisory that urged operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking mechanism on fuel cutoff switches to prevent unintentional movement. The FAA and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, Reuters had reported. Reuters reported last week, citing a source, that the cockpit recording on the Air India flight from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick suggested the captain cut fuel to the engines. The AAIB has said it is too early to draw any conclusions. Air India operates a fleet of Boeing 787 twin-aisle jets on its long-haul operations, while low-cost unit Air India Express operates the Boeing 737 single-aisle jets.
CNA
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- CNA
Air India says no issues found in Boeing 787, Boeing 737 fuel control switches
Air India has completed precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of the fuel control switch on all its Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 aircraft, with no issues found, the airline said on Tuesday (Jul 22). Air India operates a fleet of Boeing 787 twin-aisle jets on its long-haul operations, while low-cost unit Air India Express operates the Boeing 737 single-aisle jets. The probe into the Air India flight that crashed and killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground, is centred around the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 jetliner. A final report into the incident is expected within a year of the accident. The switches regulate fuel flow into a plane's engines. They are used by pilots to start or shut down engines on the ground or to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Air India probe of Boeing 787 fuel control switches finds no issues
Air India's inspection of the locking feature on the fuel control switches of its existing Boeing 787 aircraft found no issues, an internal communication circulated within the airline said. The switches have come under scrutiny following last month's crash of an Air India jet that killed 260 people after a preliminary probe by Indian investigators found that they had flipped from run position to cutoff shortly after takeoff. India's aviation regulator earlier this week ordered the country's airlines to investigate the locking feature on the switches of several Boeing models. The order came after Boeing notified operators that the fuel switch locks on its jets were safe. But it was in line with a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2018, which recommended inspection of the locks to ensure they could not be moved accidentally. Air India's probe, however, found no problems with the locking mechanism. "Over the weekend, our Engineering team initiated precautionary inspections on the locking mechanism of Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all our Boeing 787 aircraft," the airline's flight operations department said in a communication to its pilots. "The inspections have been completed and no issues were found," the communication said, noting that it had complied with the regulator's directives. It added that all of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft had also undergone "Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacement as per the Boeing maintenance schedule", adding that the FCS was part of this module. Other countries have also ordered their airlines to examine fuel switches on Boeing aircraft. Singapore found them all to be "functioning properly". "Our checks confirmed that all fuel switches on SIA (Singapore Airlines) and Scoot's Boeing 787 aircraft are functioning properly and comply with regulatory requirements," an SIA spokesperson told AFP earlier this week. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that crashed last month was heading from Ahmedabad in western India to London, with the accident killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. In a letter to employees on Monday, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the investigation into the crash was ongoing and it would be unwise to jump to "premature conclusions".
