DGCA Orders All Airlines To Inspect Boeing Fleets As Per FAA's Advisory in 2018

The DGCA order came after several airlines across the world using Boeing planes have started inspection of the fuel switch locking system of their aircraft fleet after the AAIB initial findings. Airlines like the Etihad and Lufthansa that fly Boeings have ordered the inspection of the locking mechanism of the fuel control switches and asked pilots to exercise caution while operating these switches on Boeing 787 aircraft.

The DGCA and all airlines are following the Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) by the US FAA dated December 17, 2018, when it had flagged the potential of disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature on various categories of Boeing planes. However, after the AAIB report mentioned this concern, the US aviation regulator and Boeing have privately issued notifications to airlines and regulators around the world, saying no urgent safety concern with either engines or airplane systems of Boeing 787s and that its fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, Reuters said.

Meanwhile, the pilots’ associations have urged the government to let them join the detailed investigations to ensure fair representation and technical insight. While rubbishing the purported theories that put the blame on the two pilots, the pilots’ bodies have said that vilifying the dead pilots is the easiest thing to do since they cannot come to defend themselves and it would be appropriate if their association is part of the probe to give perspective from the pilots’ angle.

Capt. Sam Thomas, president of pilots’ association ALPA India, said there were inconsistencies in the report and it was a shoddy job. He flagged the selective leak of the report and the fact it was unsigned by the AAIB team. “It looks like the report has been dictated to someone in AAIB that’s why not it was not signed,” Mr Thomas said, as he called for judicial investigation in the whole matter and called to include subject matter experts and pilots in the probe. He further said these are highly technical modern planes that need someone with technical knowledge to proceed with the investigation.

“We don’t have confidence in this report… This report creates more confusion and says nothing... We have objection to the insinuation, firstly putting one line to show pilots cut off fuel control switches that made people say pilots deliberately crashed the plane,” said Mr Thomas, referring to comments and news reports in the foreign media. He explained checking fuel control switches is part of the checklist for pilots and whenever there is thrust lost in the engine before deploying RAT.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said Monday the preliminary report on the Air India AI-171 crash has raised more questions, but clarified that the particular plane went through mandatory checks and was free from any glitch when it took off in Ahmedabad. He added that since the crash on June 12, there has been an ongoing cycle of theories, allegations, rumours and sensational headlines, many of which have later been disproven. He also defended the fitness of pilots and the aircraft and added that as part of added caution, all Boeing 787 planes were checked after the accident.

Mr Wilson said the investigations are incomplete and people should wait for the final report before jumping to conclusions. “The release of the preliminary report marked the point at which we, along with the world, began receiving additional details about what took place. Unsurprisingly, it provided both greater clarity and opened additional questions,” he said in an internal memo to airline staff. He further said the two pilots had passed mandatory pre-fight breathalyser tests, were medically fit to fly and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status. He added there were no issues with fuel quality or the take-off roll either.

“Until a final report or cause is tabled, there will no doubt be new rounds of speculation and more sensational headlines... Let us not be diverted from what are our top priorities: standing by the bereaved and those injured, working together as a team, and delivering a safe and reliable air travel experience to our customers around the world,” Mr Wilson said.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to civil aviation minister K. Rammohan Naidu, asking how sensitive details on the AAIB report were available to foreign news agencies and the media before an official release in India. “Such a breach not only undermines the credibility of our aviation safety institutions but also reflects a serious lapse in information security and protocol,” she said.

The MP added that the non-stop insinuations made against the deceased pilots through implication and selective leaks of the interim report as well as through the international media’s narrative was absolutely reprehensible.