No issues: Air India after re-inspections of fuel control switch of all Boeing 787s
Grave safety concerns around the aircraft's fuel systems following last year's fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8 necessitated the fuel control switch re-inspection.
Commercial airliner Air India on Wednesday said that it identified no issues after the carrier completed re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.
Air India initiated a fleet-wide inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft after a malfunction was reported on a London Heathrow to Bengaluru flight on Sunday, ensuring passenger safety.
"Air India has completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet. No issues were identified during these checks. The inspections were undertaken in an abundance of caution following an observation reported by one of our pilots," a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"We acknowledge the regulator’s proactive oversight in conducting independent inspections and subsequently clearing the FCS".
There were grave safety concerns and heightened scrutiny of the aircraft’s fuel systems following last year’s fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8.
Air India further stated it will strictly follow the regulator’s (DGCA) instructions by sharing OEM-recommended procedures for operating the FCS with all crew members. The airline emphasised that passenger and crew safety continues to be its top priority.
DEFECT REPORTED AFTER INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
As per a PTI report, an Air India pilot flagged a defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 after completing the London Heathrow–Bengaluru service.
The aircraft departed London on Sunday and arrived in Bengaluru on Monday morning. Following the pilot’s report, Air India grounded the plane for technical inspections.
The development led the airline to begin precautionary checks across its Dreamliner fleet.
EMAIL TO PILOTS ANNOUNCES RE-INSPECTION
Air India’s Senior Vice President for Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, informed Boeing 787 pilots about the inspection initiative through an internal email.
“Following the reported defect involving a fuel control switch on one of the B787 aircraft, our engineering team has escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation,” Uppal wrote.
“In the interim, while we await Boeing’s response, our engineers, out of an abundance of caution, have initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch latch to verify normal operations,” he said.
PREVIOUS INSPECTIONS AFTER FATAL CRASH
Air India had carried out similar inspections last year after the fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.
The preliminary investigation report into that accident noted that fuel supply was cut off shortly after take-off, bringing fuel control switches under close scrutiny.
Since then, the airline has stepped up monitoring of key engine and fuel system components.
Commercial airliner Air India on Wednesday said that it identified no issues after the carrier completed re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet.
Air India initiated a fleet-wide inspection of fuel control switches on its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft after a malfunction was reported on a London Heathrow to Bengaluru flight on Sunday, ensuring passenger safety.
"Air India has completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet. No issues were identified during these checks. The inspections were undertaken in an abundance of caution following an observation reported by one of our pilots," a spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"We acknowledge the regulator’s proactive oversight in conducting independent inspections and subsequently clearing the FCS".
There were grave safety concerns and heightened scrutiny of the aircraft’s fuel systems following last year’s fatal crash involving a Boeing 787-8.
Air India further stated it will strictly follow the regulator’s (DGCA) instructions by sharing OEM-recommended procedures for operating the FCS with all crew members. The airline emphasised that passenger and crew safety continues to be its top priority.
DEFECT REPORTED AFTER INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT
As per a PTI report, an Air India pilot flagged a defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 after completing the London Heathrow–Bengaluru service.
The aircraft departed London on Sunday and arrived in Bengaluru on Monday morning. Following the pilot’s report, Air India grounded the plane for technical inspections.
The development led the airline to begin precautionary checks across its Dreamliner fleet.
EMAIL TO PILOTS ANNOUNCES RE-INSPECTION
Air India’s Senior Vice President for Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, informed Boeing 787 pilots about the inspection initiative through an internal email.
“Following the reported defect involving a fuel control switch on one of the B787 aircraft, our engineering team has escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation,” Uppal wrote.
“In the interim, while we await Boeing’s response, our engineers, out of an abundance of caution, have initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch latch to verify normal operations,” he said.
PREVIOUS INSPECTIONS AFTER FATAL CRASH
Air India had carried out similar inspections last year after the fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad, which claimed 260 lives.
The preliminary investigation report into that accident noted that fuel supply was cut off shortly after take-off, bringing fuel control switches under close scrutiny.
Since then, the airline has stepped up monitoring of key engine and fuel system components.