DGCA asks airlines to inspect fuel switch locking system in Boeing aircrafts days after AI crash report

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday asked airlines to inspect the fuel switch locking system in their Boeing 787 and 737 planes by July 21, days after a preliminary probe report on the crashing of Air India' Boeing 787-8 'Dreamliner' in Ahmedabad found that the fuel switches were cut off before the incident.

The DGCA directive came after it referred to a 17 December, 2018 Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, which spoke about the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on certain models of Boeing aircraft, including 787s and 737s. There was no airworthiness directive, indicating that it was not a safety issue.

In its order, the DGCA said it has come to its notice that several operators, internationally as well as domestic, have initiated inspection of their aircraft fleet as per the FAA's SAIB. Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel into aircraft engines.

"...All airline operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection... 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," the aviation regulator said.

The order said "strict adherence" to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations.

In its preliminary report on the Boeing 787-8 crash released on Saturday, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take off. "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it said.

The probe report also referred to the FAA's SAIB No. NM-18-33 on December 17, 2018, regarding the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature. This SAIB was issued based on reports from operators of Model 737 airplanes that the fuel control switches were installed with the locking feature disengaged.

"The airworthiness concern was not considered an unsafe condition that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) by the FAA...As per the information from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory," it added.