Etihad Airways has advised its pilots operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners to "exercise caution" when handling the aircraft's fuel control switches. In a safety directive, the Dubai-based airline also ordered a fleet-wide inspection of the locking mechanisms on these switches as a precaution. This came after preliminary findings from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) into the crash of Air India Flight 171 were published on June 12.
The AAIB report revealed that both engine fuel control switches on the Air India aircraft were moved from the 'RUN' to 'CUTOFF' position seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad. This led to a complete loss of engine thrust. Audio from the cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot asking the other, "Why did you cut off fuel?" to which the response was, "I didn't."
Etihad has now taken an "abundance of caution" approach. It has also released a separate engineering bulletin ordering a fleet-wide inspection of the locking mechanisms of the fuel control switches.
The directive, dated July 12 and reviewed by NDTV, instructs engineers to check whether the left and right fuel control switches on Boeing 787 aircraft can be moved between 'CUTOFF' and 'RUN' without lifting the locking mechanism. If the switches move freely without lifting, the locking feature is considered faulty, and the Thrust Control Module (TCM) must be replaced. If the switches stay locked unless lifted, no action is needed.
"Exercise caution when operating the fuel control switches or any other switches/controls in their vicinity," the airline says.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said that the preliminary report into Flight AI171's crash found no mechanical or maintenance fault with the aircraft or its engines. In a letter to staff, Mr Wilson wrote, "I suggest we note that the Preliminary Report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed."
He also confirmed that the fuel quality was not in question, the take-off roll showed no abnormalities, and that the pilots had cleared their pre-flight breathalyser tests with no medical concerns flagged.
The action by Etihad comes amid renewed scrutiny of a 2018 advisory issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which warned operators of certain Boeing aircraft to inspect the locking mechanisms on fuel control switches.
The AAIB report said that Air India failed to act on this advisory. While both the FAA and Boeing have since claimed that the existing switch design does not present an unsafe condition requiring a formal airworthiness directive, airlines including Etihad and Singapore Airlines have initiated precautionary inspections across their 787 fleets.
A recent message from the FAA said the current fuel switch locking system is working as intended, as per Reuters. It reminded global aviation bodies of its earlier 2018 safety advisory. Boeing also sent a similar note to airlines, saying the locks meet safety rules and do not need changes.
