India Mandates Inspection of Boeing Fuel Control Switches Following Air India Tragedy

In response to a devastating Air India crash that resulted in 260 fatalities, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has mandated airlines to inspect fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft. This follows preliminary findings indicating that fuel supply to engines was interrupted shortly after takeoff, and aims to enhance flight safety.

India's aviation authority has issued an urgent directive requiring domestic airlines to inspect fuel control switches across their Boeing fleets, a decision prompted by the tragic Air India Flight 171 disaster in June that claimed the lives of 260 passengers. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) noted that this mandate followed initial inspections carried out by several international and Indian airlines in response to the increasing safety concerns regarding these switches.

This decision comes shortly after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reiterated the safety of the fuel control switches in Boeing aircraft, even as investigations revealed that the switches in the doomed flight appeared to have been inadvertently set to the "cut-off" position just moments after takeoff. This preliminary finding underlines a pressing safety issue, linking the fuel management system to one of aviation's most severe tragedies in nearly a decade.

In its directive, the DGCA requires airlines to complete the necessary inspections by July 21, reinforcing the importance of strict compliance to guarantee the safety and airworthiness of aerial operations. The checks will adhere to guidance from a prior FAA advisory issued in 2018, which suggested that operators inspect the locking mechanism of the fuel cut-off switches, although it did not mandate such protocols. This earlier guidance was overlooked since Air India considered these checks non-mandatory, as stated in the preliminary investigation report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).

Additionally, the FAA has publicly commented on the 2018 advisory related to the locking features of the fuel switches and clarified that the presence of disengaged features does not necessarily render the aircraft unsafe. In unrelated developments, the Indian Commercial Pilots' Association has publicly defended the pilots of Flight 171 against negative judgments regarding their actions during the crisis, emphasizing their adherence to training protocols amid distressing circumstances.

Meanwhile, the fallout from this incident has prompted South Korea to consider implementing similar inspections for all airlines utilizing Boeing aircraft, illustrating the profound impact this aviation tragedy continues to have across the globe.