No abnormality was found in the fuel control switch (FCS) locking mechanism of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner after a pilot flagged a possible defect on an Air India London–Bengaluru flight (AI-132) earlier this year, the government has said.
The pilot in command (PIC) recorded the issue in the aircraft’s logbook as soon as the plane returned to Bengaluru on February 2, after which the airline grounded it. Fuel control switches of Boeing 787s have been in the focus since the crash of flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad on June 12 last year.
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In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation had directed Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)-level testing of the FCS locking mechanism in Seattle as a continued airworthiness measure. “Detailed examination of Fuel Control Switch including structural integrity of Fuel Control Switch detents was carried out and no abnormality was observed. However, further inspection of complete ‘Thrust Control Module’ at OEM facility is underway,” Mohol said.
Hisham’s question also sought reasons for the delay in releasing the AAIB’s final report on the AI-171 crash — more than a year after the accident and despite an earlier assurance that it was in its “last stage” — as well as whether pilot conduct is among the causes being examined, and whether the government would commit to a public release date for the complete report without redactions.
Responding to these questions together, Mohol said: “There is no delay in the investigation. The timeline for a major accident investigation cannot be predicted, as it depends on several factors and is an evolving process involving multiple variables. The investigation is under progress. All probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated.” He added that the final report, including all findings, would be published on the AAIB website once the probe is complete.
The reply did not specifically confirm or rule out whether pilot conduct is among the factors under examination, and did not offer a release date for the final report. This comes after the Centre told the Supreme Court on July 14 that the AAIB probe is expected to conclude within six weeks, with a draft final report ready by October, which will then be circulated among other stakeholders – the aviation regulators of the US and the UK, as well as planemaker Boeing – for comments before it is published.
