Air India crash: DGCA orders fuel control switch checks on select Boeing aircraft by July 21; flags 2018 Federal Aviation advisory

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Monday directed Indian carriers to conduct checks on fuel control switches of Boeing aircraft, including the B787 Dreamliner and some B737s. These aircraft are used by operators like Air India Group, IndiGo and SpiceJet.

The preliminary report into the June 12 crash Air India crash in Ahmedabad states that fuel supply to the engines was cut off as position of the fuel supply switch was changed from run to cutoff and then back to run again. Some foreign airlines, including Etihad have already begun these checks on their Dreamliners.

The DGCA order issued Monday says: "(US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a 'special airworthiness information bulletin' (SAIB) on December 17, 2018, regarding the potential for disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on Boeing Company Model 717-200 airplanes; Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER series airplanes; Model 737-8 and -9 airplanes; Model 747-400, -400D, -400F, -8, and -8F series airplanes; Model 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, and -300 series airplanes; Model 767-200, -300,300F, -400ER, and -2C series airplanes; Model 787-8, -9, and-10 airplanes; Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes; and Model MD-90-30 airplanes."

"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 (Dec 17, 2018) SAIB.... all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection (by) no later than July 21, 2025. Inspection plan and report after accomplishment of inspection shall be submitted to this office under intimation to concerned regional office."

"Strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations," it adds.

Also Read: Etihad begins inspection of fuel control switches on its Dreamliners

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary report into AI 171 crash had said that since the SAIB wasn't mandatory in nature, Air India had not carried out the checks. "The airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) by the FAA. The fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models including part number 4TL837-3D which is fitted in B787-8 aircraft VT-ANB (the plane that had crashed in Ahmedabad). As per the information from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory. The scrutiny of maintenance records revealed that the throttle control module was replaced on VT-ANB in 2019 and 2023. However, the reason for the replacement was not linked to the fuel control switch. There has been no defect reported pertaining to the fuel control switch since 2023 on VT-ANB,” the preliminary report had said.

The AAIB had added that “at this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers.”

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