The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed airlines to carry out checks and the locking mechanism of fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft in their fleets.
The directive comes in the wake of the preliminary investigation reports into last month’s tragic Air India Boeing Dreamliner crash at Ahmedabad, which claimed the lives of 260 people.
The Air Accidents Investigation Bureau (AIIB) found in its preliminary investigation that the twin engines of the ill-fated Boeing plane shut down seconds after take-off due to a cut-off in fuel supply.
The report raised fresh concerns about the aircraft’s engine fuel cutoff switches, shifted from ‘Run’ to ‘Cutoff’ just 3 seconds after take-off.
Cockpit voice recordings captured a moment of confusion between the pilots. One asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the other replied, “I did not do so.”
FAA’s 2018 report mentions potential malfunctions
The AAIB report mentions FAA’s 2018 bulletin that flagged a potential malfunction of the fuel control switches, manufactured by US-based Honeywell, in a few Boeing aircraft, such as the 737s, which use the same mechanisms.
The 2018 bulletin recommends that airlines operating Boeing models, including the Dreamliner, inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel cut-off switches.
Air India did not carry out the checks, according to the AAIB report.
Air India to investigators said that the airline did not carry suggested checks as they were ‘advisory’ in nature and not ‘mandatory’.
Following the Air India Crash, some airlines, such as Emirates, that have Boeing planes in their fleet, are reported to be carrying out checks on the fuel switch locking mechanisms on their own as part of enhanced safety protocols.
However, the USA’s Federal Aviation Administration has informed civil aviation authorities of other countries that fuel control switch designs, including the locking features, installed in the Boeing plane, including the Dreamliner involved in the Air India Crash at Ahmedabad, are safe.
The US aviation safety regulator has stated that it does not consider any airworthiness directives necessary for Boeing operators at this time.
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