Air India crash: carrier completes Boeing fuel switch inspections amid accident probe
After flight 171’s fatal crash linked to fuel control switches, the carrier inspected its Boeing 787 and 737 fleets, with a final report anticipated in a year
The switches control fuel flow to aircraft engines, allowing pilots to start or shut them down on the ground, or manually intervene during in-flight engine failures.
Air India began voluntary inspections of the switches on July 12. India’s aviation regulator soon ordered all domestic carriers to conduct similar checks, prompting some foreign airlines and regulators to follow suit.
A preliminary report from the AAIB earlier this month found the switches had almost simultaneously flipped from ‘run’ to ‘cut-off’ shortly after take-off, causing the engines to lose power.
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Air India plane bound for London crashes moments after take off in Ahmedabad
The FAA and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, Reuters had reported.