As a precautionary step post Air India B787 crash, UAE-based Etihad Airways has advised pilot and engineering team on fuel control switch while ordering an inspection of same on its B787 fleet. The DGCA seems to be examining the issue.
This comes after the release of the preliminary report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on the Air India crash with several aviation experts questioning the disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature in B787 aircraft as flagged by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in December 2018.
Last week, the FAA and Boeing privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, according to a Reuters report. “We will defer to FAA,” Boeing said in repose to the Etihad advisory.
The DGCA is monitoring the situation but has not issued any directives as such for now, said sources. Air India did not respond to queries.
Etihad issued advisories on July 12 and July 13. The one issued to pilots urges them to “exercise caution” while operating the fuel control switches on Boeing 787 and the one to the engineering team calls for a detailed inspection.
The FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) No. NM-18-33, issued in December 2018, flagged potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature in Boeing aircraft, including the B787-8 fitted with similar part numbers.
Etihad instructed pilots to exercise caution when operating the fuel control switches or any other switches/control in their vicinity and that they should avoid the presence of any objects on the pedestal that could result in their inadvertent movement.
The directive was necessitated out of an abundance of caution as the official safety investigation affecting another Boeing 787 operator continues its course without positive conclusions at this stage, says the Etihad bulletin.
It urged the engineering team to inspect the fuel control switch locking feature for proper engagement. It outlined detailed steps for the check.
Air India has two variants of Dreamliner in its fleet—B787-8 and B787-9. The majority of Air India’s Dreamliners are the 787-8 variant (25), while it also operates seven 787-9 acquired in November from its merger with Vistara.
