Following the disastrous crash last month near Ahmedabad, Air India has already done precautionary checks on the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) locking devices on its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners and Boeing 737 aircraft. The checks were done as per the safety guidelines laid down by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
On July 12, Air India had independently undertaken voluntary checks before the directive given by the DGCA and had done them within the given period. The airline spokesperson confirmed, adding that there were no problems with the FCS locking mechanism during checks. The results have been passed on to the regulator.
The airline reaffirmed its promise to the airline staff and passenger security. The spokesperson also added that Air India is committed to the safety standards.
The DGCA had issued an urgent directive on July 14 following the destructive June 12 crash, which took away 260 lives, including 19 people on the ground. Air India Boeing 787-8 was flying to London Gatwick after departing Ahmedabad when it crashed a few minutes after takeoff, dashing into a building known as a hostel in that area. Out of 242 passengers and their crew, only one passenger survived.
A line of investigation involving traffic records puts emphasis on the question of malfunctioning fuel control switches as a factor in the crash. The FCS is an important control system in engine fuel delivery, and any malfunction leading to failure in locking the FCS may cause power to fail.
The long-haul international network of Air India offers Boeing 787 twin-aisle jets, whereas its low-cost unit variant, Air India Express, uses Boeing 737 single-aisle jets in both domestic and regional flights. The inspections covered both fleets.
The last accident report is likely to be revealed in one year. In the meantime, the airline industry remains under enormous safety radar in order to avert such devastating accidents in the future.
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