• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Air India has successfully completed precautionary inspections of the fuel control switch (FCS) locking mechanism across its entire fleet of Boeing 787-8 aircraft and reported no anomalies, officials from the Tata-owned airline confirmed.

The airline undertook these checks following a directive issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, which mandated inspections of the FCS system on specific Boeing aircraft models by July 21.

ALSO READ: Air India Reduces Bengaluru-London Heathrow Flights To Four Times A Week From August 1; Here's Why

The DGCA’s directive came in response to findings by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which investigated the crash of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad. The report revealed that the aircraft's fuel cutoff switches for both engines had been inadvertently moved to the cutoff position in rapid succession, within a one-second interval, just after takeoff, leading to the accident.

"All our Boeing 787-8 aircraft have undergone throttle control module (TCM) replacement as per the Boeing maintenance schedule. The FCS is part of this module," an Air India official said.

"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 inspections have been completed and no issues were found," the official said, quoting an internal message sent to Air India pilots.

The official added that all Boeing 787-8 aircraft have undergone Throttle Control Module (TCM) replacements in line with Boeing’s maintenance schedule, noting that the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) is a component of this module.

The FCS is responsible for regulating the flow of fuel to the aircraft’s engines. In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a one-second interval, leading to confusion in the cockpit shortly after takeoff.

Earlier, Air India Express had also inspected nearly its entire fleet of Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and no issues were detected, the official said. These checks were conducted in response to a DGCA directive that enforced compliance with a December 2018 bulletin from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned of possible disengagement of the locking feature on the fuel control switch in certain Boeing 737 models.

The fuel control switch design, including the locking mechanism, is similar across various Boeing aircraft, including those fitted with part number '4TL837-3D', the same type installed in the Boeing 787-8 involved in the Ahmedabad crash that claimed 260 lives.

According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Air India had not carried out the inspections recommended in the 2018 FAA advisory, as the bulletin had been categorized as “non-mandatory.”

ALSO READ: Global Pilots’ Body Rejects Premature Conclusions Blaming Pilots For Air India Plane Crash; Seeks Fair Probe

The AAIB’s report details that both fuel cutoff switches were inadvertently moved from the 'run' to 'cutoff' position within a one-second interval, almost immediately after liftoff. As a result, the aircraft lost engine power, prompting the deployment of the ram air turbine (RAT) pump to provide emergency hydraulic power. The aircraft crashed just 32 seconds after takeoff.