Air India plane crash: No defect found in fuel control switch of plane, thrust control module being examined, says govt

Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol. File pic

Investigators have found no abnormality in the fuel control switch locking mechanism of the Air India Boeing Dreamliner that crashed just 35 seconds after taking off from Ahmedabad airport on June 12 last year, killing 260 people on board and on the ground, the government said on Wednesday.The government informed the Parliament that the control switch was taken up for advanced testing by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). The response comes amid a crucial examination of the complete thrust control module that is still underway in Seattle.

Responding to questions in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the tests were ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) as part of continuing airworthiness checks after the aircraft type was grounded in February this year.

A detailed examination of the fuel control switch, including the structural integrity of its locking detents, "found no abnormality", he said.

"Inspection of the complete Thrust Control Module at the OEM's facility is underway," Mohol said, quoting the findings.

While the fuel control switch has been cleared of any defect so far, the examination of the complete thrust control module is still underway, with investigators awaiting the outcome of the ongoing inspection.

The minister also told the Parliament that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) final report has not been delayed, maintaining that investigations into major air crashes are an evolving process and that the AI-171 flight crash probe is now in its final stages.

The government also dismissed suggestions that the AAIB had delayed its final report on the accident, saying that investigations into major air crashes do not follow a fixed timeline and that the inquiry is progressing in accordance with established investigation procedures.

"All probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated," the minister said in the House.

The government said the final investigation report, containing all findings of the probe, will be made public and uploaded on the AAIB's website once the investigation is completed.

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