Air India Completes Safety Inspections on Boeing 787 Jets
Air India announced on Wednesday that it has finished checking the fuel control switches on its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 jets. This comes just a few days after one of their flights was grounded due to a possible issue with the fuel control switch.
The airline stated that during the inspections, no problems were found. The checks were carried out amid an ongoing investigation into a tragic incident last year involving a 787 Dreamliner, which resulted in the loss of 260 lives shortly after takeoff.
In a statement, Air India mentioned that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the country’s aviation regulator, also conducted its own independent inspections and cleared the fuel control switch for operation.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our top priority,” the airline emphasized. Air India is part of the Tata Group.
On Tuesday, the DGCA reported that the issue with Monday’s flight was due to incorrect handling of the fuel switch by the crew, rather than a mechanical failure. The regulator advised Air India to enhance training for its crew in accordance with Boeing’s recommended procedures.
The earlier crash involving a London-bound Boeing 787 Dreamliner occurred in June when it took off from Ahmedabad. Out of the 242 people on board, only one survived, and 19 people on the ground were also killed.
After the crash, an inspection revealed no issues with the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches. A preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau indicated that the fuel supply to the engines was cut off moments before the plane hit the ground, sparking discussions about possible pilot error.
Two major pilots’ associations in India and the father of one of the deceased pilots have disputed claims that human error was to blame for the crash. The final report from Indian authorities regarding this incident is still pending.
