Air India Completes Inspections of Fuel Control Switches Following Crash Probe

Air India has finished inspecting fuel control switches on all its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The move comes after a preliminary probe report into the Air India Express Flight 171 crash, which killed 260 people in June, pointed to the fuel switches being set to the wrong position, likely causing the crash. The investigation is now focused on determining how the switches were set to that position, whether intentionally or not.

Key Takeaways:

• Air India has completed inspections of fuel control switches on all its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, as directed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
• The inspections were conducted amid intense scrutiny of fuel control switches following the Air India Express Flight 171 crash, which killed 260 people in June.
• The preliminary probe report by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that the fuel switches were set from "run" to "cutoff" position during take-off, starving the engines and likely causing the crash.
• Fuel control switches are designed with multiple safety mechanisms, including spring-loaded locking features and metal guards to prevent accidental movement.
• A 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration safety bulletin warned of potential disengagement of the locking mechanism on several Boeing aircraft models, including the 787.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation had directed the inspection after the Accident Investigation Bureau released its preliminary report.
• Other airlines, including Etihad Airways, have also instructed their engineering teams to inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches on their B787 aircraft.

Statistics:

• 260 people killed in the Air India Express Flight 171 crash in June.
• All 174 Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft in Air India's fleet have undergone inspections of fuel control switches.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation set a July 21 deadline for all Indian airlines to inspect fuel switch controls of specified aircraft models.
• 50% of the inspections were completed within the first 72 hours, according to Air India.

Sources:

• "Air India completes fuel switch inspections after crash probe" - Hindustan Times
• "DGCA orders inspection of fuel control switch on all Boeing aircraft" - Hindustan Times
• "US Federal Aviation Administration, Safety Bulletin, 2018" - US Federal Aviation Administration
• "Accident Investigation Bureau, Preliminary Report, Air India Express Flight 171" - Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau