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Air India grounds aircraft after London-Bengaluru flight sees possible fuel switch cutoff
The fault brings back memories of the June 12 plane crash of the Air India flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London that resulted in 260 deaths.
Air India on Monday admitted a possible defect in the fuel switch of its Boeing 787-8 aircraft flying on the London to Bengaluru route, and said it had now grounded the aircraft.
The fault brings back memories of the June 12 plane crash of Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to London that resulted in 260 deaths. The investigation report of the crash had pointed to a similar situation.
“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis," the carrier said in a statement.
The airline said that the matter has been brought to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) notice, adding that the safety of the passengers and crew “remains top priority”.
"The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the Air India statement added.
Boeing also released a statement, saying that it was supporting Air India's review of the incident.
"We are in contact with Air India and are supporting their review of this matter," the statement said.
Air India had announced in July last year that it had completed inspections of the fuel control switches on all its Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft, in line with directives from the DGCA.
What happened on the London-Bengaluru flight?
The incident occurred on Monday during Air India Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru.
According to a press release from Safety Matters Foundation, circulating on social media, the crew reported abnormal behaviour of the LEFT engine fuel control switch on a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, VT-ANX.
“During engine start, the switch failed to remain locked in the RUN position on two attempts, moving towards CUTOFF—a malfunction that could, under specific conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight,” the release added.
The fuel switch problem in the Ahmedabad crash
On July 12, the preliminary report into the Air India flight 171 crash revealed that both engine fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF seconds after takeoff, resulting in a loss of thrust. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the fuel cutoff, with the other denying responsibility.
The Ram Air Turbine (RAT), a backup power system, was deployed automatically. Although one engine began to recover after the switches were returned to RUN, the aircraft could not regain altitude. A Mayday call was recorded moments before the crash.
