The DGCA on Monday said that it has come to its notice that several operators, internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection of their aircraft fleet as per the FAA's SAIB
Rescue operations at the site last month and the wreckage of the doomed plane. File Pic/AFP
Aviation regulator DGCA on Monday asked airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes, reported the PTI.
The DGCA's decision comes days after the preliminary probe report into the Air India's Boeing 787 crash found that the switches were cut off before the accident last month.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), back in 2018, had flagged the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. It was mentioned in a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) but there was no airworthiness directive, indicating that the issue was not a safety concern, according to the PTI.
On Monday, DGCA said it has come to its notice that several operators, internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection of their aircraft fleet as per the FAA's SAIB.
"... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection... no later than 21st July 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned Regional Office," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in an order, as per the PTI.
The fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel into aircraft engines.
Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet are among the domestic carriers operating Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft.
In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take off, the news agency had earlier reported.
"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said.
However, AAIB did not mention any recommended action.
Meanwhile, Following the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report into the recent fatal Air India plane crash, airlines have begun inspecting the locking mechanism of fuel switches on Boeing 787 aircraft, reported the IANS.
According to the news agency, the initial findings, based on the crash of an Air India Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, indicate that fuel supply to both engines was abruptly cut off shortly after take-off, resulting in the tragic accident. Experts have raised concerns that a malfunction in the locking feature of the fuel control switches may have been a contributing factor.
The AAIB report noted that there is currently no “recommended action” for Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, or General Electric (GE), which produced the engines.
In response, Etihad Airways has instructed its engineering teams to examine the locking mechanism of fuel control switches in its B-787 fleet. In a safety advisory, or “standard work package”, engineers were asked to verify proper engagement of the switch locks and exercise caution during their operation, as per the IANS.
The advisory states, “Attempt to gently move (without applying excessive force) the Left (L) fuel control switch on the P10 Control Stand from ‘CUT-OFF’ to ‘RUN’ without lifting the switch. If the switch cannot be moved without lifting, the locking feature is functional. No further action is required,” according to the IANS.
Air India flight AI 171, operated with the Boeing 787-8, enroute to London Gatwick crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad on June 12, killing 260 people.
(with PTI and IANS inputs)
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