Britain’s aviation authority has sought an explanation from Air India about how a Boeing Dreamliner passenger plane, which was grounded in India for safety tests, left London on Sunday despite concerns over a possible faulty fuel switch and warnings of possible regulatory action, a letter said.
An Air India pilot reported a malfunction in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. (PTI)An Air India pilot reported a malfunction in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft on February 2 after operating flight AI132. After landing in Bangalore later that day, the aircraft was grounded for inspection.
Also Read | ‘Highest level of scrutiny’: What aviation safety agency says on Boeing fuel switch cutoff issue on Air India flightThe UK aviation authority has sought details from Air India, warning of actionThe UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned Air India of possible regulatory action against the airline and its Boeing 787 fleet if it fails to submit a full reply within a week, according to a letter dated Tuesday, news agency Reuters reported.
In a statement, the CAA said it was routine for a regulator to “seek information following an aircraft incident and comply with safety assurance procedures”.
Fuel switches were a key factor in the crash of an Air India Dreamliner last year that killed more than 250 people in Gujarat and led to a close investigation into the airline. The switches control the flow of jet fuel to the aircraft’s engines.
The CAA asked Air India to “submit a detailed account of all maintenance work carried out to ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft and support its release for service at Bangalore”.
According to the report, the UK regulator has asked for a “comprehensive root-cause analysis” of the incident and a “preventive action plan” to avoid similar problems across Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet.
Also Read | Air India, IndiGo plane collide with wings: Blow-by-blow account of what happened at Mumbai airportWhat Air India said about the fuel switch incident, DGCAAir India said in a statement to Reuters that it conducted a precautionary re-inspection of the switches and found no problems. It added that it would “respond accordingly to the UK regulator”.
Indian aviation regulator DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), in its initial review, found that “apparently proper procedures” were not followed while operating the switch. Airlines have been directed to ensure that flight crews follow prescribed procedures.
In an internal memo issued on Wednesday, Air India said it had also checked the fuel switches on all its Boeing 787 aircraft and “no problem was found”, the report said.
with input from organizations