The government has confirmed that Boeing's detailed examination of the Dreamliner aircraft's fuel control switch locking mechanism found no abnormality, following an Air India pilot's report of a possible issue. This investigation was prompted after an Air India flight from London to Bengaluru in February, and comes amidst an ongoing probe into a fatal Dreamliner crash last year where fuel supply to engines was cut off.
In a statement, the airline said it has completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.
The UK's Civil Aviation Authority is investigating a fuel control switch issue on an Air India Boeing 787-8 at Heathrow Airport. The incident occurred before a flight to Bengaluru, prompting scrutiny from both UK and Indian aviation regulators.
The senior official of Air India said that no adverse findings have been reported on the aircraft for which this re-inspection was completed, he said in the email sent to B787 pilots.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which faced fuel control switch glitch, took off from London on February 1 after the crew carried out a physical check of the switch and that no abnormal parameters were observed during start of the engine or thereafter.
Air India grounded a Boeing 787-8 after a pilot reported a potential fuel control switch defect. The incident occurs amidst an ongoing investigation into the airline's Dreamliner crash last June.
Pilots typically operate the fuel control switches during two key phases: At engine start-up on the ground and during engine shutdown after landing.
Air India completed inspections of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 planes following a DGCA directive after a preliminary report on a recent crash. No issues were found.
The preliminary report on the Air India plane accident highlights potential confusion among pilots regarding fuel switches, which regulate fuel flow to the engines. The report suggests the switches were cut off and then switched on again shortly before the crash, raising questions about pilot actions and procedures.
'In the inspections, no issues were found with the said locking mechanism.'
"When the fuel control switch has to be cut off, the pilot flying will say, fuel control switch left, confirm. So, after the confirmation is made by the second pilot, the pilot monitoring will cut off (the switch).
'...because that protects their aviation industry.' 'The Boeing 787 is one of the most widely-flown wide-body aircraft in the world, and Airbus is running neck-and-neck with Boeing.' 'Airbus is not going to let an opportunity like this pass.' 'If a software problem with the 787 is confirmed, they will use it to increase their own orders.'
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) on Thursday renewed its demand for a judicial probe into the AI-171 crash and urged authorities not to release any interim investigation report, saying it would create further confusion and speculation.
'We have been insisting that all Boeing 787 aircraft be grounded and checked for the electrical systems.'
The DGCA has asked airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes after a preliminary probe report into the Air India crash found that the switches were cut off before the accident.
Pilots' grouping FIP has suggested that the AAIB should investigate whether a 'pre-lift off electrical disturbance' could have led to the Air India Dreamliner crash in June last year, which resulted in 260 fatalities.
A man who lost family members in the 2023 Air India AI-171 crash has made claims about the pilot's position in the mortuary, prompting calls for an independent investigation.
'In multi-pilot operations, no critical switch can be moved without the other pilot's consent.'
'...from the recovered part of the throttle quadrant -- the control panel that manages engine power -- it is hard to say at this stage if the locking mechanism was damaged in any way.'
Air India replaced the Throttle Control Module (TCM) of the crashed Boeing 787-8 plane twice in the last six years following a directive from Boeing in 2019, sources said on Sunday. The replacement of the TCM twice -- in 2019 and 2023 -- was mentioned in the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary probe report into the crash that was released on Saturday.
The government has mandated that cooking gas LPG supply to households will be discontinued if consumers fail to switch to piped natural gas where such connectivity is available, under a new order aimed at accelerating gas network expansion and reducing reliance on a single fuel.
The lawsuit has compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for the wrongful deaths of four passengers on flight 171, US-based law firm The Lanier Law Firm said in a statement.
A preliminary investigation into the Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad reveals that both fuel switches were cut off before the crash, followed by pilot confusion. The report also indicates that fuel samples were satisfactory and no immediate action is recommended for Boeing 787-8 operators.
'There is no shortage of fuel whatsoever.' 'India is stock surplus as far as petrol and diesel are concerned.'
'The switch can't be shut off by an accidental brush of the hand, but needs effort, conscious physical action to operate it.' 'Was it the software of the aeroplane that caused the switch to turn off?' 'Was it the hardware of the aeroplane?' 'Was it both software and hardware put together?'
The Congress party has accused Home Minister Amit Shah of launching an "onslaught" on the Opposition and "wrecking" Indian democracy. The party alleges that Shah is enticing elected representatives to join the BJP with significant incentives, a claim echoed by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut regarding Maharashtra MPs. This comes amidst reports of defections from other parties like the TMC.
'Visualise those 15 to 18 seconds: Fully loaded aircraft, pilot manually controlling with both hands (no autopilot immediately after takeoff), looking forward while switches are behind.'
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Airline Pilots' Association of India demands a fair and fact-based probe into the Air India plane crash, rejecting any bias towards pilot error in the investigation.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has published its preliminary report on the fatal accident of Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane that was operating flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12.
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner experienced an uncommanded deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) shortly before landing. The DGCA is investigating the incident, raising safety concerns.
An aviation expert suggests investigators should focus on a possible fault in the stabiliser of the crashed Air India flight.
'Who tried engine relight?' 'If the first officer was the one flying at takeoff, the captain may have taken control immediately post-thrust loss.' 'But the AAIB report doesn't clarify any of this.'
Pilot groups have accused the AAIB of portraying the pilots as responsible for the incident, with vague and selective presentation of cockpit conversations.
'AAIB preliminary report was more detailed than most people were expecting.'
'We're always looking at how we can keep improving, keep getting better, and keep learning.'
'If anything happened out of the normal, there would be instantaneous ECAM, EICAS warnings, the master caution or master warnings going off.' 'It would be like a Christmas tree in the cockpit if things start going wrong.'
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'The tone of the preliminary report creates a narrative towards pilot error. This is wrong.' 'Selected conversation has been divulged. It's not as if the pilots did not speak anything else in the cockpit.'
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the government to order a judicial probe into the Air India Dreamliner crash that killed 260 people, alleging that the ongoing investigation is "compromised" and should be halted.
