Air India on Thursday said it is investigating whether its crew followed all necessary compliance procedures after a Boeing aircraft took off from London. A possible fuel-switch malfunctionbefore later being grounded in India.
An Air India pilot reported a malfunction in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. (PTI)Britain has given one week to Air India to submit a full response, warning that failure to do so could invite regulatory action against the airline and its fleet of 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
Authorities said the London pilots noticed that a fuel control switch did not stick in the “run” position during two attempts, although it appeared stable on the third.
The crew later decided to operate the flight to India, where the pilot reported a possible “error” after landing, causing the aircraft to be grounded for inspection.
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What happened?Air India said it would “follow its safety investigation protocol and take appropriate action”, when asked if the pilots had raised concerns with British authorities before departure, Reuters reported.
The inquiry will look into why the crew did not report the matter while in London and, if they believed it was safe to fly, why concerns were raised only after arriving in India, the report added.
The fuel control switch, which controls the flow of jet fuel to the plane’s engines, was at the center of last year’s crash involving an Air India Dreamliner in the western state of Gujarat, a crash that killed 260 people and led to heightened scrutiny of the airline.
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Air India and Indian authorities said after Sunday’s incident There were no problems with the fuel control The airline’s Dreamliner fleet changes.
Britain’s aviation watchdog has nevertheless sought a “comprehensive root-cause analysis” of the incident, including a “preventive action plan” to avoid a repeat across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is Air India’s highest priority,” the airline said
