Air India has begun a precautionary inspection of fuel control switches across its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet after a pilot reported a possible defect on one aircraft.
The Tata Group-owned airline started checks on Tuesday. About half the fleet has already been inspected, with no technical issues found so far, news agency ANI mentioned sources as saying. Inspections of the remaining aircraft are still underway.
The move follows the grounding of an Air India Boeing 787-8 after a pilot flagged a potential problem with the fuel control switch during operations.
Checks underway; matter escalated to Boeing and DGCA
Sources said the airline has escalated the issue to Boeing for priority evaluation. No adverse findings have emerged during the ongoing fleet-wide re-inspection of fuel control switches, they added.
An Air India spokesperson confirmed that the issue was reported to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and that the aircraft manufacturer is being involved to examine the concern at the earliest.
“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the spokesperson said.
Pilots’ body flags past incidents, seeks investigation
Following the development, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged both the DGCA and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to examine the issue more closely.
FIP president Captain CS Randhawa said this was the third known instance involving uncommanded movement of fuel control switches on a Boeing 787 aircraft.
Speaking to ANI, he said: “The first incident on the Boeing 787-800 aircraft took place on 17 February 2019 at Osaka on an ANA flight, which was landing at Osaka, where both fuel control switches on touchdown, when the throttles were brought to idle position, both these switches went to cutoff position automatically due to an electrical malfunction of the TCMA. We have been relating the same theory for the Air India 171 crash on 12th June at Ahmedabad. This is the third incident where there has been an uncommanded movement of the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 aircraft.”
Air India has not reported any disruption to flight operations so far. Inspections are continuing as a precaution.