India, South Korea, major airlines begin mandating fuel switch checks in wake of AI crash probe

Days after the preliminary investigation report was released by India’s aviation authorities regarding the tragic Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad, global airlines have started enforcing stricter checks on fuel switch locks.

Engine fuel control switches are at the centre of the investigation into last month’s Air India plane crash that killed 260 people. The report found that just seconds after takeoff, the  fuel control switches on the Boeing 787’s engines were turned off for a short time, cutting off the fuel supply.

Now, according to news agency Reuters, South Korea looks all set to order all airlines in the country that operate Boeing jets to examine fuel switches.

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A South Korean transport ministry spokesperson stated that inspections of Boeing aircraft are being conducted in accordance with a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advisory, though the US agency didn’t provide a specific timeline for these checks.

The 2018 FAA advisory suggested, but didn’t require, operators of certain Boeing models, including the 787, to examine the fuel cutoff switch locking mechanisms to ensure they can’t be accidentally moved.

India orders mandatory fuel control switch locking system checks

Similarly, India’s civil aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has also issued similar guidelines for all Indian-registered aircraft.

The DGCA bulletin indicates that the fuel control switch locking system may sometimes disengage automatically, posing a serious risk to aircraft operation. The DGCA has instructed all affected airline operators to complete the inspection by July 21

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On Sunday (July 13), Reuters reported, based on a document and sources, that Boeing and the FAA had quietly informed airlines and regulators that the fuel switch locks on Boeing aircraft were safe, and no inspections were necessary.

Major airlines already in action

Despite this, major airlines like Etihad and Singapore Airlines have started inspecting the fuel switch locks on their Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Etihad, the UAE’s flagship carrier, has ordered a detailed review of the locking mechanisms on its 787 fleet and advised pilots to be cautious when operating the fuel control switches, NDTV reported. Singapore Airlines has also begun its own inspections, according to sources quoted by the news outlet.

What are fuel switches?

Fuel switches control the flow of fuel into an aircraft’s engines.

Pilots use them to start or stop the engines while on the ground, or to manually cut off or restart them if there is an engine issue during flight.

According to aviation experts, it is unlikely that a pilot could move these switches by mistake, reports said.

Each switch is protected by brackets on either side and fitted with a stop lock. This means the switch must be lifted before it can be moved between its two settings: RUN and CUTOFF.