E-Paper
Air India says probing crew compliance after Boeing 787 fuel-switch incident
Authorities said pilots in London noticed that a fuel control switch did not remain latched in the “run” position during two attempts.
Air India on Thursday said it is investigating whether its crew followed all required compliance procedures after a Boeing aircraft took off from London despite a possible fuel-switch defect, before being grounded later in India.
Britain has given Air India a week to submit a complete response, warning that failure to do so could invite regulatory action against the airline and its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
Authorities said pilots in London noticed that a fuel control switch did not remain latched in the “run” position during two attempts, though it appeared stable on a third.
The crew subsequently decided to operate the flight to India, where the pilot reported a possible “defect” after landing, leading to the aircraft being grounded for inspections.
Also Read | DGCA advises Air India to educate crew on procedures, after fuel switch concern
What happened?
Air India said it would be “following its safety investigation protocol and take appropriate action,” when asked whether the pilots had raised concerns with British authorities prior to departure, Reuters reported.
The investigation would examine why the crew did not report the issue while in London and, if they believed it was safe to fly, why the concern was raised only after arrival in India, the report added.
Fuel control switches, which regulate the flow of jet fuel to an aircraft’s engines, were at the centre of last year’s crash involving an Air India Dreamliner in the western state of Gujarat, an accident that killed 260 people and led to heightened scrutiny of the airline.
Following Sunday’s incident, Air India and Indian authorities have said there were no issues with fuel control switches across the airline’s Dreamliner fleet.
Britain’s aviation watchdog has nonetheless sought a “comprehensive root-cause analysis” of the incident along with a “preventive action plan” to avoid any recurrence across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
“The safety of our passengers and crew remains Air India’s highest priority,” the airline said.
