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The Hindu
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Hindu
India Orders Fuel Switch Checks After Deadly Boeing Crash
Published : Jul 15, 2025 18:53 IST - 5 MINS READ The Government of India's action speaks much louder than its words in the preliminary report of the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which killed over 260 persons. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India's aviation regulator, has ordered the inspection of fuel switches of all Boeing aircraft in India, though the astonishingly brief crash report had no finding blaming the crash on the operation of the switches. Apart from the other issues that this move raises, flights across India are bound to be delayed because Air India has 33 wide-body Boeing 787 aircraft and about 75 single-aisle 737 aircraft. The 15-page preliminary report says: 'At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers.' It is not only the DGCA which has ordered the inspection of the fuel switches. South Korea, Singapore, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, and the UK have done so as well. South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport has ordered all domestic airlines operating Boeing 787 aircraft to check the locks on the fuel control switches. In addition to this, an elaborate note put out by the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways detailed which parts of the Boeing aircraft need to be closely examined. An Indian official said that this was the natural course of action to mitigate any potential or perceived risk. Also Read | Dreamliners and Boeing come under scrutiny, yet again On May 15, nearly a month before the Air India crash, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority had issued a safety notice asking all airline operators in the UK to examine the fuel shut-off valve on all Boeing aircraft. It quoted the 2018 Airworthiness Directive (AD) by the US' Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), which made an advisory recommendation on the potential unsafe condition affecting the fuel shut off valve. The safety notice (number: SN-2015/005) stated: 'The Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation for operators of Boeing B737, B757, B767, B777, B787 aircraft should immediately make themselves aware of the relevant AD and establish whether it affects any of their aircraft.' There was no particular reason attributed to this additional check required by the regulator. The DGCA directive, which has been issued to all airline operators in Indian, has stipulated a deadline of July 21 for the completion of the task, which is in line with the advisory note put out by the United States Federation Aviation Administration in 2018 (and reported earlier by Frontline). The DGCA's statement asserted: 'Strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations.' This directive comes despite the fact that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) did not issue any immediate safety compliance recommendation. It even said that the aircraft, operated as Air India's Flight 171, was airworthy and had no major defects. On July 13, Etihad Airways asked its engineers to prepare to test the dual control switch locking mechanism in the 787 fleet. The instructions in its circular are specific and relate to checking if the fuel control switches can move without a two-stage process: 'Attempt to gentle move (without applying excessive force) to Right fuel control switch on the control stand from CUTOFF to RUN without lifting the switch. If the switch cannot be moved without lifting, the locking feature is functional. No further action is required.' Further, it asks the service personnel to move the fuel switch to the run position and repeat the process. In a statement on July 15, Japan Airlines (JAL) said that it had conducted inspections on its Boeing 787 fleet. While not disclosing the exact nature of the problems it had encountered, JAL stated that any issues found during these inspections had been set right on the ground. In 2013, JAL had to ground its entire B787 fleet following a safety issue related to short-circuit involving the lithium-ion batteries on board. This was set right and the airline resumed operations with 787 aircraft in June that year. On July 15, a report in TheStraits Times stated that Singapore's national carrier, Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its budget counterpart, Scoot, have completed checks on fuel switches and found no problems. SIA has 26 B787 airplanes in its fleet; Scoot has 23. According to the report: 'In addition to the checks on the 787 planes, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) also said it was working with SIA and Scoot to inspect the fuel control switches of all active Singapore-registered Boeing 737 and 747-400F aircraft.' Also Read | Ahmedabad plane crash: Wake-up call from the skies Meanwhile, in a July 14 press release, the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Association (IFALPA), which represents more than 1,00,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries, said that the preliminary report raises many questions but does not provide any answers. The release stated: 'IFALPA also notes that the Report clearly states that no safety recommendations are being provided at this stage. The Federation remains committed to supporting the efforts of the AAIB of India as they work to determine the contributing factors of this accident. 'IFALPA further appealed to the media not to speculate based on the preliminary report. A Reuters report of July 14 quoted the FAA as saying that the fuel switches were safe. Boeing, too, maintains that this mechanism is safe. This assertion puts the onus on the AAIB to examine all angles, conclude what caused the Air India crash on June 12, and release its report at an early date.
Kuwait Times
3 days ago
- General
- Kuwait Times
Fuel to Air India engines ‘cut off before crash'
NEW DELHI: Fuel control switches to the engines of an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people, were moved from the 'run' to the 'cutoff' position moments before impact, a preliminary investigation report said Saturday. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the June 12 disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed from Ahmedabad in western India to London when it crashed, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. In its 15-page report, the investigation bureau said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, 'the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec'. 'In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so,' it said. The aircraft quickly began to lose altitude. The switches then returned to the 'RUN' position and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but 'one of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY'', the report said. Air traffic controllers asked the pilots what was wrong, but then saw the plane crashing and called emergency personnel to the scene. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told reporters that investigators probed in a 'mature, transparent' way. 'This is a preliminary report. We want the final report to come in, so let us wait for it,' he said. Earlier this week, specialist website The Air Current, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe, reported it had 'narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel switches', while noting that full analysis will 'take months - if not longer'. It added that 'the focus of the investigators could change during that time'. The Indian agency's report said the US Federal Aviation Administration had issued an information bulletin in 2018 about 'the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature'. Though the concern was not considered an 'unsafe condition' that would warrant a more serious directive, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were 'advisory and not mandatory'. Air India was compliant with all airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins on the aircraft, the report said. The investigations bureau said there were 'no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers', suggesting no technical issues with the engines (GE) or the aircraft (Boeing). The bureau said the investigation was ongoing, and that additional evidence and information had been 'sought from the stakeholders'. Boeing said in a statement it would 'continue to support the investigation and our customer', adding 'our thoughts remain' with those affected by the disaster. Air India said it was 'working closely with stakeholders, including regulators.' 'We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses,' it said in a statement on X. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stipulates that states heading an investigation must submit a preliminary report within 30 days of an accident. US and British air accident investigators have taken part in the probe. Suresh Mistry, who lost his daughter Kinal in the crash, told AFP his family was still coming to terms with the loss. 'How is possible that there is an internal issue with the flight and nobody knew? Even cars these days indicate when there is a problem. How does it not happen on flights?' he said. Imtiyaz Ali, whose brother was killed along with his wife and two children, said the preliminary report took 'nothing forward' for him. 'And (it) is not even close to a closure,' he said. 'It feels like we are at the same spot, where we were a month ago when the crash happened.' The plane was carrying 230 passengers - 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian - and 12 crew. Dozens of people on the ground were injured. One passenger miraculously survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage of the crash, and who has since been discharged from hospital. Health officials in the Indian state of Gujarat initially said at least 279 people were killed, but forensic scientists reduced the figure after multiple scattered and badly burnt remains were identified.- AFP
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Ahmedabad plane crash: No recommendations for Boeing, GE for now, states AAIB report
NEW DELHI: The AAIB's preliminary report into the AI-171 crash has not "recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers" at "this stage of investigation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " Whether that changes when the probe is complete and the final report is ready in about a year or so, remains to be seen. "Data downloaded from forward Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorder is being analysed in detail... Investigation is continuing and the investigation team will review and examine additional evidence, records and information that is being sought from the stakeholders," the report states. While Indian authorities probing the crash have been tight-lipped, the US National Transportation Safety Board was also part of the probe. "NTSB appointed an accredited representative and technical advisers from Boeing, GE and Federal Aviation Administration to assist in this Investigation. A team of officials from AAIB, UK also arrived at Ahmedabad and visited the site with DG, AAIB," it says. Media reports in the west, which came before AAIB made its preliminary report public, had spoken about fuel control switches turned to cutoff mode being examined in the crash as a probable cause. There has not been any FAA airworthiness directive for Boeing for its B787-8 so far following AI-171 crash is being seen as the probe not finding anything wrong with the plane at this stage of the probe. This has been a big relief to Boeing as the B787 is one of the most widely used wide body aircraft used by airlines globally. Similarly, the probe so far has not found an issue with GE engines. "Left engine was installed on May 1, 2025, and right one on March 26, 2025... Applicable airworthiness directives were complied," report states.
Qatar Tribune
3 days ago
- General
- Qatar Tribune
Air India crash: Fuel was cut off to plane seconds after takeoff
dpa New Delhi Questions have swirled over what caused an Air India jet to crash into a residential neighbourhood shortly after take-off last month, killing 260 people. Preliminary findings by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) about the June 12 disaster suggests an answer, but also deepens the mystery: the fuel control switches for both engines on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were nearly simultaneously flipped to the 'cut-off' position seconds after departure. The cockpit voice recorder captured the confusion as the London-bound plane experienced a sudden loss of thrust and began to descend over a residential area of Ahmedabad, in western India. The 15-page report released on Saturday notes that one pilot can be heard asking the other: 'Why did you cut-off?' The other responds: 'I didn't do it.' There were two pilots - the captain and the co-pilot - and investigators said they have yet to determine who was speaking. In the event of an engine failure, pilots can use these switches to manually restart or shut down an engine. The switches are spring-loaded to prevent them from being accidentally moved. Aviation expert Graham Braithwaite from Cranfield University told the BBC that if a pilot wanted to operate the switch, he would have to 'lift it and move very positively the position.' The switches were flipped from the 'cut-off' position back to the 'run' position seconds later, the report said - but it was too late to save the plane. The aircraft, carrying 242 people, crashed into a building less than minute after take-off and burst into flames. All but one of the passengers - a British national - were killed, along with 19 people on the ground. Emergency system deployed Investigators found no signs of a bird strike or external impact, noting that the aircraft had already begun losing altitude before it even cleared the airport perimeter wall. Airport surveillance footage showed the deployment of the jet's emergency Ram Air Turbine - a small propeller that generates hydraulic or electrical power - during the plane's brief climb. The system is typically activated in critical power-loss situations. No recommendations for Boeing At this stage of the investigation, the bureau issued no recommendations for Boeing or for the GE GEnx-1B engines used on the aircraft. Experts from Boeing, the US Federal Aviation Administration, and engine manufacturer General Electric are assisting with the probe. Air India confirmed it had received the preliminary findings but declined to comment further. 'Given the active nature of the investigation, we are unable to comment on specific details and refer all such enquiries to the AAIB,' the company posted on X.
Observer
3 days ago
- General
- Observer
Fuel to Air India jet engines cut off moments before crash
NEW DELHI: Fuel control switches to the engines of an Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people, were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position moments before impact, a preliminary investigation report said on Saturday. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), did not offer any conclusions or apportion blame for the June 12 disaster, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why he cut off fuel, and the second pilot responded that he had not. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was headed from Ahmedabad in western India to London when it crashed, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 people on the ground. In its 15-page report, the investigation bureau said that once the aircraft achieved its top recorded speed, "the Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF position one after another with a time gap of 01 sec". "In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it said. The aircraft quickly began to lose altitude. The switches then returned to the "RUN" position and the engines appeared to be gathering power, but "one of the pilots transmitted 'MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY'", the report said. Air traffic controllers asked the pilots what was wrong, but then saw the plane crashing and called emergency personnel to the scene. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu told reporters that investigators probed in a "mature, transparent" way. "This is a preliminary report. We want the final report to come in, so let us wait for it," he said. Earlier this week, specialist website The Air Current, citing multiple sources familiar with the probe, reported it had "narrowed its focus to the movement of the engine fuel switches", while noting that full analysis will "take months — if not longer". It added that "the focus of the investigators could change during that time". The Indian agency's report said the US Federal Aviation Administration had issued an information bulletin in 2018 about "the potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature". Though the concern was not considered an "unsafe condition" that would warrant a more serious directive, Air India told investigators it did not carry out suggested inspections as they were "advisory and not mandatory". Air India was compliant with all airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins on the aircraft, the report said. The investigations bureau said there were "no recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers", suggesting no technical issues with the engines (GE) or the aircraft (Boeing). The bureau said the investigation was ongoing, and that additional evidence and information had been "sought from the stakeholders". Boeing said in a statement it would "continue to support the investigation and our customer", adding "our thoughts remain" with those affected by the disaster. Air India said it was "working closely with stakeholders, including regulators." "We continue to fully cooperate with the AAIB and other authorities as their investigation progresses," it said in a statement on X. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stipulates that states heading an investigation must submit a preliminary report within 30 days of an accident. US and British air accident investigators have taken part in the probe. The plane was carrying 230 passengers — 169 Indians, 53 British, seven Portuguese and a Canadian — and 12 crew. Dozens of people on the ground were injured. One passenger miraculously survived, a British citizen who was seen walking out of the wreckage of the crash, and who has since been discharged from hospital. Health officials in the Indian state of Gujarat initially said at least 279 people were killed, but forensic scientists reduced the figure after multiple scattered and badly burnt remains were identified. — AFP
