The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will soon travel to aircraft manufacturer Boeing’s facility in Seattle to test the fuel control switchboard (FCS) of a Boeing 787 aircraft that was operating between London Heathrow Airport and Bengaluru Airport in February this year.
Air India has ordered a fleet-wide precautionary re-check of the FCS latch on its Boeing 787 aircraft after a pilot reported a possible defect during operations on February 2. The aircraft, which was later grounded by the airline, operated flight AI132 and landed in Bengaluru with at least 200 people on board, following which the issue was highlighted by the Pilot in Command (PIC) in the aircraft log.
Two ministry officials confirmed this development and said: “The fuel control switch will be tested in the presence of officials of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation.”
He added, “The team will be present as observers.”
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Sure enough, in the initial examination carried out on both the switches, the DGCA found them to be satisfactory. However, the component was sent to Boeing’s Seattle facility for detailed examinations.
Commenting on the development, an Air India spokesperson said: “The unit has already been confirmed to be fully operational by both the OEM and the DGCA. It is understood that the decision to proceed with further review and testing is intended to ensure a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the component, as an exercise of extreme caution. This additional step includes examination in a controlled laboratory environment to definitively confirm its performance and integrity. We fully support this process.”
A second official said the government had adopted a cautious approach to any development related to FSCs since the crash of a B787 on June 12 last year that killed 260 people on board.
“The DGCA has informed the AAIB (Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau) of all developments related to the fuel control switches since the accident,” said one of the officials cited above.
