DGCA orders fuel control switch inspections on various Boeing aircraft by July 21 | Business News

The preliminary investigation report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said that the Air India plane crashed after both its engines were starved of fuel as the two fuel control switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position within a second of each other moments after lift-off.

The DGCA order came after a few Boeing aircraft operators, mainly those overseas, initiated voluntary inspections advised in that SAIB. A few foreign carriers, including Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, have begun voluntary checks of the fuel control switches on their 787 fleets despite the FAA and Boeing notifying operators of 787 jets that the fuel switch locks on the aircraft are safe and no further action is needed.

Experts say accidental movement of the switches—used to allow and cut fuel supply to the aircraft’s engines—is not quite possible. The spring-loaded switches have brackets on either side to protect them and the locking mechanism requires the pilots to lift the switch up before moving it between either of its two positions—RUN and CUTOFF. In view of the Air India crash, there have been calls from various quarters in India and abroad for the checks recommended in the 2018 SAIB to be conducted to ensure that fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft are functioning as they should.

“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 SAIB… In the view of above all airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection required under SAIB Number: NM-18-33, dated 17th December 2018, no later than 21st July 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,” the regulator said in its order.

The preliminary report into the crash of the Air India 787-8 had mentioned this specific SAIB, which was issued after a few 737 operators said that some fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged. Various Boeing aircraft, including the 787s, have fuel control switches similar to those on the 737s. At the time, the FAA had said that the concern was not an unsafe condition, but had advised operators of various Boeing models to inspect the switches. As the SAIB was only advisory and not mandatory, Air India had not carried out the inspection on the ill-fated aircraft. Moreover, the throttle control module—which houses the fuel control switches among others—was last changed in 2023 on the plane, and no defect related to the switches was reported since.

“Inspect the locking feature of the fuel control switch to ensure its engagement. While the airplane is on the ground, check whether the fuel control switch can be moved between the two positions without lifting up the switch. If the switch can be moved without lifting it up, the locking feature has been disengaged and the switch should be replaced at the earliest opportunity,” the SAIB had advised operators of various Boeing aircraft models.

There is considerable speculation on whether the switches were flicked by one of the pilots—inadvertently or otherwise—or whether the transition signal to the system was due to any technical, mechanical, or software issue. To be sure, the report does not state that either of the pilots physically moved the switches, just that they transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF. The investigators would now focus on unearthing the cause behind the transitioning of the fuel control switches. The report also did not issue any recommendation to other operators of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft and its GE engines, suggesting that at this stage, the investigators do not have a reason to believe that there was any issue with the plane or its engines.