Air India on Wednesday said it has completed precautionary inspections of fuel control switches across its operational Boeing 787 fleet, stating that no issues were found during the checks.
The inspections followed a reported malfunction in a Dreamliner that operated a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru earlier this week.
In a statement, the airline said it had carried out re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) on all operational Boeing 787 aircraft. Air India currently has 33 Boeing 787s in its fleet, of which 28 are operational.
“No issues were identified during these checks. The inspections were undertaken in an abundance of caution following an observation reported by one of our pilots,” the airline said.
It added, “We acknowledge the regulator's proactive oversight in conducting independent inspections and subsequently clearing the FCS.”
The checks were initiated after an Air India pilot reported a defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after operating a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru. The aircraft was grounded for inspections following the report.
The flight, which had over 200 people on board, departed London on Sunday and landed in Bengaluru on Monday morning.
The Telegraph had earlier reported that aviation regulator DGCA, while reviewing the incident, appeared to keep the possibility of human error open.
The regulator noted that no abnormal parameters were observed in the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that faced the fuel control switch issue last week.
On Tuesday, the DGCA’s initial examination found that “apparently correct procedure” was not followed while operating the switch. The regulator has asked the airline to ensure that crew members follow the prescribed procedures.
Air India said it would fully comply with the regulator’s directions.
The airline stated that it would adhere to the guidance to circulate OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) recommended operating procedures for the operation of the FCS to all crew members.
The fuel control switch has come under closer scrutiny following the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft last June that killed 260 people.
The preliminary investigation report into that crash said fuel supply to the engines was cut off soon after take-off, bringing attention back to operating procedures linked to the switch.