Aviation watchdog DGCA has directed the inspection of an Air India Dreamliner aircraft's fuel control switch, which possibly had issues as reported by a pilot in February, at the original equipment manufacturer's facility in the presence of the regulator's officers.
On February 2, an Air India pilot reported a defect with the fuel control switch of the Boeing 787-8 plane VT-ANX after operating the AI132 flight. The plane faced a fuel control switch issue during engine start in London on February 1.
Later, Air India carried out a precautionary re-inspection of the fuel control switch across all its operational Boeing 787 aircraft and no issues were identified during these checks.
"The DGCA India, as part of continued airworthiness of the involved Fuel Control Switch, has directed for their inspection at the OEM facility in the presence of DGCA officers," the civil aviation ministry said in a late evening statement on Tuesday.
Earlier, sources said the detailed examination of the particular switch module would be carried out at Boeing's facility in the US.
Based on recommendations received from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Air India had carried out inspection and functional testing of the Fuel Control Switches (FCS) in accordance with OEM-prescribed procedures in the presence of DGCA officers, the statement said.
Upon review of the inspection results and evidence provided, the statement said the OEM concluded that the FCS was mechanically functioning as designed and considered the unit serviceable.
The aircraft was grounded on February 2 based upon an entry made in the Pilot Defect Report stating that the left FCS slips from 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' when pushed slightly and does not lock positively in its selected position.
In response to a query about the particular fuel control switch, an Air India spokesperson on Tuesday said the fuel switch module had already been confirmed as fully functional by both the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the DGCA.
"The decision to proceed with further review and testing is understood to be intended to ensure a thorough and conclusive evaluation of the component, as a measure of abundant caution.
"This additional step involves examination in a controlled laboratory environment to definitively confirm its performance and integrity. We fully support the process," the spokesperson said in a statement.
There were no comments from Boeing.
Specific details could not be ascertained.
Meanwhile, on February 3, aviation watchdog DGCA's initial examination of the fuel control switch issue found that "apparently correct procedure" was not followed in operating the switch, and the airline was asked to ensure that the crew follows the right procedures.
The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft that killed 260 people on June 12 last year, as the preliminary probe report mentioned that fuel supply was cut off soon after take-off.
The Boeing 787 is also known as the Dreamliner.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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