Air India inspects Boeing 787's fuel switches after mid-air scare
What's the story
Air India has started inspecting the fuel control switches on its entire fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. The move comes after a malfunction was reported during a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on February 2. The airline operates around 33 of these advanced aircraft. Manish Uppal, Senior Vice President for Flight Operations at Air India, has confirmed the fleet-wide reinspection of fuel control switches on Boeing 787s.
Immediate action
Precautionary reinspection of FCS latch
This review comes after a crew member flagged a defect where the switch moved from "run" to "cut-off" on one of these aircraft. In an email sent to B787 pilots, Uppal said that while they await Boeing's response, their engineers have started a precautionary reinspection of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) latch.
Inspection results
No negative results reported
Uppal further said that no negative results have been reported on the aircraft for which this reinspection was done. He also requested crew members to report any defects seen during operations immediately and ensure all necessary actions are taken before accepting the aircraft. This is part of Air India's commitment to safety and operational excellence in its fleet of Boeing 787s.
Past incidents
Inspection after fatal crash in Ahmedabad
Notably, this isn't the first time Air India is inspecting fuel control switches on its Boeing 787s. The airline had also conducted such an inspection last year after a deadly crash of a Boeing 787-8 plane in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. The action highlights the importance of these switches in ensuring passenger safety and preventing potential accidents.