India orders inspection of Boeing planes
New Delhi has directed airlines to check the fuel switches of some aircraft made by the American manufacturer
India's civil aviation regulator has ordered the country's carriers to inspect fuel switches on Boeing aircraft, days after a preliminary report on the Air India crash in June showed that the supply had been cut off just seconds after takeoff.
The UK-bound 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed into the dormitory of a medical college in Ahmedabad, India shortly after takeoff on June 12. Only one person on board escaped with his life. Nineteen people on the ground were also killed.
On Monday, the Indian regulator said it had issued the order after several domestic and international airlines had already started conducting their own inspections of the locking mechanisms connected to the switches. The directive applies to Boeing 787 Dreamliners as well as 737s, according to The Economic Times.
On Saturday, a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found that the Ahmedabad crash was caused by the fuel supply to the engines being shut off. Cockpit switches controlling the supply were moved to the ‘cut off’ position seconds after takeoff, shutting off fuel to both engines, the report said.
It added that the plane's engines were restarted when the switches were flipped back on, but the aircraft continued to descend, after which a Mayday call was made.
Investigators have ruled out fuel quality issues, overloading, bird strikes, and hazardous cargo as causes of the crash. All systems were reportedly normal at takeoff. The report does not currently recommend action against Boeing or General Electric, the engine manufacturer. Both companies, along with the US Federal Aviation Administration and UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch, are involved in the ongoing investigation.
While Western media outlets have reported that Boeing’s fuel switch locks are safe, airlines in Japan, South Korea and Singapore have started their own checks as a precaution, according to Reuters. Etihad Airways has also reportedly started checks.
