Air India has successfully completed precautionary inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) locking mechanisms across its Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737 aircraft, finding no issues, the airline announced.
This initiative follows a directive from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued on July 14, after a tragic crash involving a Boeing 787-8 on June 12 that claimed 260 lives and injured 67 people.
The airline began voluntary inspections on July 12 and completed them ahead of the DGCA’s July 21 deadline. The directive aligns with a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration concerning potential disengagement of the FCS locking feature.
The DGCA’s action was prompted by preliminary findings from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The AAIB reported that confusion over engine switch movements led to an unintended cutoff of fuel to the engines during the crash.
In a preliminary report released a month after the incident, the AAIB found no significant faults with the aircraft or its engines and did not recommend immediate actions for the manufacturer or operators.
