INDIA ORDERS INSPECTION OF BOEING FUEL SWITCHES AFTER DEADLY AIR INDIA CRASH

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

India’s aviation regulator has directed all domestic airlines to inspect fuel control switches on several Boeing aircraft models following preliminary findings from the fatal Air India crash last month that killed 260 people.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued the directive on Monday, mandating inspections on Boeing 787 and 737 models by July 21, in response to concerns that fuel switches may have inadvertently moved from the “run” to “cutoff” position during flight.

The move follows a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, which revealed that the switches had flipped shortly after takeoff on June 12, sparking a mid-air emergency. The report included cockpit voice data in which one pilot questioned the other about cutting off fuel, to which the latter reportedly denied doing so.

Though the report stopped short of assigning blame, the incident has raised alarms over the locking mechanisms on the switches. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) previously issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) recommending inspections to ensure such switches cannot be moved accidentally.

India’s DGCA noted that “several operators internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet” based on the FAA bulletin.

The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner involved in the crash was en route from Ahmedabad to London, carrying 242 passengers and crew. Only one person on board survived, and 19 people on the ground were also killed in the crash.

Boeing has maintained that the switch locks on its aircraft are safe, but investigations continue.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, in a letter to staff, urged caution against drawing “premature conclusions” as the official inquiry remains ongoing.