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Complete check by July 21: Aviation regulator DGCA to all airlines after Air India crash probe points to fuel switches
Deadlines of a week comes after specific mention of the fuel switches in a preliminary probe report on the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad
India's aviation regulator on Monday ordered all airlines in the country to examine fuel switches on Boeing aircraft, including the 787, 747 and 737 models, by July 21 to check for malfunctions in their locking mechanism.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted that several Indian and international airlines had already initiated the inspection of their fleets.
The DGCA directive comes days after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) submitted its preliminary investigation report into the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad on June 12.
Also read | US regulator flagged fuel switch issues in 2018, what Air India told probe team
Fuel switches and a 2018 advisory
The report referred to a 2018 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, which recommended that operators of several Boeing models inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The inspection was advised, not mandated in that FAA communication.
Also read | Airlines initiate locking mechanism checks
The issue came up after the AAIB preliminary report revealed that, on the June 12 Air India flight, both engine fuel switches had moved from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” position just one second apart during take-off. Despite crew attempts to restore fuel flow in 10-14 seconds, the Boeing 787 crashed 32 seconds after lift-off, killing 260 people.
The circumstances of why the cut-off was engaged are unclear.
On June 12, the London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner began to lose thrust almost immediately after taking off from the Ahmedabad airport and ploughed into a medical college hostel, killing all but one of the 242 onboard and another 19 on the ground.
What FAA bulletin said
In its preliminary report released late on Friday, AAIB said FAA released a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), on December 17, 2018, which was not mandatory in nature.
Also read | What happens when fuel switches flip from ‘run’ to ‘cutoff’ during takeoff
The report highlighted a potential issue related to the fuel control switch locking mechanism that may become disengaged on several Boeing aircraft models. These include the Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 787, and MD-series (MD-11, MD-90) aircraft.
What DGCA order says
On Monday, the Indian regulator's order said, “DGCA issues Mandatory Modifications for aircraft/engines/components registered in India based on the Airworthiness Directives issued by State of Design/Manufacture. For other non-mandatory instructions including service bulletins, service letters and other information such as SAIB issued by State of Design/Manufacture or OEM (original equipment manufacturer)…”
It added, “It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators-internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the SAIB NM-18-33 dated 17th December 2018.”
In view that, it said, “all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection required under SAIB… dated 17th December 2018, no later than 21st July 2025”.
It further instructed, "Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of Inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned Regional Office,” it said.
The DGCA order came amid a Reuters report from the US that the FAA and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 also came after a preliminary report into Air India crash.
