Air India probes crew actions in Boeing fuel switch scare

Air India has launched an internal investigation to determine whether flight crew followed all required safety procedures after a Boeing 787 took off from London with a suspected fuel-switch issue and was later grounded in India.

According to the airline, the probe will review compliance with safety protocols following the incident, which took place earlier this week. The move comes after British aviation authorities privately requested detailed information from Air India about maintenance checks conducted before the aircraft was cleared for departure, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

UK regulators have reportedly given the airline one week to submit a full explanation or risk regulatory action affecting both the airline and its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.

Authorities said pilots in London noticed that a fuel control switch, which regulates fuel flow to engines, failed to remain locked in the “run” position during two attempts, but appeared stable on a third attempt. The crew then proceeded with the flight to India.

After landing, the pilot reported a possible defect, prompting the aircraft to be grounded for technical inspections.

Sources familiar with the matter said investigators will likely examine why the issue was not formally reported in London and whether the crew believed the aircraft was safe to operate at the time of departure.

Fuel control switches have been under heightened scrutiny since a fatal Air India Dreamliner crash in Gujarat last year that killed 260 people and led to tighter oversight of the airline’s operations. Following the latest incident, both Air India and Indian aviation authorities said no systemic issues have been found with fuel switches across the Dreamliner fleet.

British regulators have requested a comprehensive root-cause analysis and preventive action plan to ensure similar incidents do not occur in the future.

Air India said passenger and crew safety remains its top priority and that it will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada