DGCA orders fuel control switch checks on select Boeing aircraft by July 21

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Monday directed Indian carriers to behaviour checks connected substance power switches of Boeing aircraft, including the B787 Dreamliner and immoderate B737s.

These craft are utilized by operators similar Air India Group, IndiGo and SpiceJet. The preliminary study into the June 12 clang Air India clang successful Ahmedabad states that substance proviso to the engines was chopped disconnected arsenic presumption of the substance proviso power was changed from tally to cutoff and past backmost to tally again. Some overseas airlines, including Etihad person already begun these checks connected their Dreamliners.The DGCA bid issued Monday says: "(US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a 'special airworthiness accusation bulletin' (SAIB) connected December 17, 2018, regarding the imaginable for disengagement of the substance power control locking diagnostic connected Boeing Company Model 717-200 airplanes; Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER bid airplanes; Model 737-8 and -9 airplanes; Model 747-400, -400D, -400F, -8, and -8F bid airplanes; Model 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, and -300 bid airplanes; Model 767-200, -300,300F, -400ER, and -2C bid airplanes; Model 787-8, -9, and-10 airplanes; Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes; and Model MD-90-30 airplanes.

""It has travel to the announcement of DGCA, that respective operators- internationally arsenic good arsenic home person initiated inspection connected their craft fleet arsenic per the (Dec 17, 2018) SAIB.... each hose operators of the affected craft are hereby advised to implicit the inspection (by) nary aboriginal than July 21, 2025. Inspection program and study aft accomplishment of inspection shall beryllium submitted to this bureau nether intimation to acrophobic determination office.

""Strict adherence to the timeline is indispensable to guarantee continued airworthiness and information of operations," it adds.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) preliminary study into AI 171 clang had said that since the SAIB wasn't mandatory successful nature, Air India had not carried retired the checks. "The airworthiness interest was not considered an unsafe information that would warrant airworthiness directive (AD) by the FAA.

The substance power control design, including the locking feature, is akin connected assorted Boeing airplane models including portion fig 4TL837-3D which is fitted successful B787-8 craft VT-ANB (the level that had crashed successful Ahmedabad).

As per the accusation from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried retired arsenic the SAIB was advisory and not mandatory. The scrutiny of attraction records revealed that the throttle power module was replaced connected VT-ANB successful 2019 and 2023. However, the crushed for the replacement was not linked to the substance power switch. There has been nary defect reported pertaining to the substance power control since 2023 connected VT-ANB,” the preliminary study had said.The AAIB had added that “at this signifier of investigation, determination are nary recommended actions to B787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B motor operators and manufacturers.”