India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday directed airlines 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 DGCA order said: "(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 added.
Not only Indian carriers, but major airlines across the world have started checking the locking mechanism in the fuel switches of Boeing 787 aircraft following the initial findings in the investigation of an Air India aircraft which crashed last month.
According to engineering work instructions reviewed by ET, Etihad Airways has asked their engineers to inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches in the B787 aircraft. People aware of the development said that Singapore Airlines have also started the process.
This is despite the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing telling operators of the plane that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe.
With the Boeing 787 being manufactured in the US, countries often mirror FAA standards to ensure safety, reliability, and compatibility. However, regulators and airlines can take any action they deem fit for safe operations.
Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday.
The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane’s engines. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff.
The fuel cut-off switches in a modern aircraft like the Boeing 787 are located below the thrust lever and have safeguards like metal lock and a guard built around them to avoid any accidental switching off. Such safeguards were built by manufacturers after multiple incidents of unintentional fuel shutoff on older generation planes.
The report says that investigators are focusing primarily on turning on and off the fuel control switches by the pilots, it also mentions that the FAA had sent information bulletin in 2018 about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were "advisory and not mandatory". An advisory service bulletin
Safety experts though said that it had no connection to the accident investigation. FAA’s advisory, reviewed by ET, was issued following such issues on 737s, a smaller model of Boeing airplanes and was never reported in any 787.
Air India also changed the switches when the airline had replaced the throttle control module twice in 2019 and 2023. In a modern generation jet like the Boeing 787, the thrust control module and the fuel control switches are physically integrated into the same quadrant unit and the replacing the module also involves replacing the fuel switches, an engineer who is certified for the aircraft said.
The DGCA order said: "(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 added.
Not only Indian carriers, but major airlines across the world have started checking the locking mechanism in the fuel switches of Boeing 787 aircraft following the initial findings in the investigation of an Air India aircraft which crashed last month.
According to engineering work instructions reviewed by ET, Etihad Airways has asked their engineers to inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches in the B787 aircraft. People aware of the development said that Singapore Airlines have also started the process.
This is despite the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing telling operators of the plane that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe.
With the Boeing 787 being manufactured in the US, countries often mirror FAA standards to ensure safety, reliability, and compatibility. However, regulators and airlines can take any action they deem fit for safe operations.
Fuel control switches for the engines of an Air India flight that crashed last month were moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position moments before impact, starving both engines of fuel, a preliminary investigation report said early Saturday.
The movement of the fuel control switches allows and cuts fuel flow to the plane’s engines. The report, issued by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, also indicated that both pilots were confused over the change to the switch setting, which caused a loss of engine thrust shortly after takeoff.
The fuel cut-off switches in a modern aircraft like the Boeing 787 are located below the thrust lever and have safeguards like metal lock and a guard built around them to avoid any accidental switching off. Such safeguards were built by manufacturers after multiple incidents of unintentional fuel shutoff on older generation planes.
The report says that investigators are focusing primarily on turning on and off the fuel control switches by the pilots, it also mentions that the FAA had sent information bulletin in 2018 about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were "advisory and not mandatory". An advisory service bulletin
Safety experts though said that it had no connection to the accident investigation. FAA’s advisory, reviewed by ET, was issued following such issues on 737s, a smaller model of Boeing airplanes and was never reported in any 787.
Air India also changed the switches when the airline had replaced the throttle control module twice in 2019 and 2023. In a modern generation jet like the Boeing 787, the thrust control module and the fuel control switches are physically integrated into the same quadrant unit and the replacing the module also involves replacing the fuel switches, an engineer who is certified for the aircraft said.
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