Air India on Wednesday said it has completed precautionary inspections of fuel control switches across its operational Boeing 787 fleet and that no issues were found during the checks.
The inspections were carried out following an incident involving a suspected fuel control switch malfunction on a Boeing 787 aircraft that operated a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on Sunday. At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, of which 28 are currently operational.
In a statement, the airline said it undertook precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft as a measure of abundant caution after an observation was reported by one of its pilots. The airline added that no anomalies were detected during the checks.
Air India also acknowledged the aviation regulator’s proactive oversight, noting that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation conducted independent inspections and subsequently cleared the fuel control switch.
What was the fuel control switch issue?
An Air India pilot had reported a defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after operating a London Heathrow to Bengaluru flight, following which the aircraft was grounded for detailed checks. The flight, which had over 200 people on board, departed London on Sunday and landed in Bengaluru on Monday morning.
The airline said it would fully comply with the regulator’s direction to circulate original equipment manufacturer-recommended operating procedures for the fuel control switch to all crew members.
On Tuesday, the DGCA said its initial examination of the issue indicated that apparently correct procedures were not followed while operating the switch. The regulator has asked the airline to ensure that flight crew adhere strictly to the prescribed procedures.
The fuel control switch has come under scrutiny following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787 8 aircraft last June that claimed 260 lives. The preliminary investigation report into that accident had stated that fuel supply to the engines was cut off shortly after take off.
