In light of findings from a preliminary report on the Air India crash, regulatory authorities in India, South Korea, and Singapore have initiated inspections of fuel control switches on Boeing airplanes. The crash of Flight 171, which occurred last month, revealed that essential safety mechanisms were potentially compromised, prompting calls for action.
Enhanced Inspections for Boeing Aircraft Following Air India Crash Investigations
Enhanced Inspections for Boeing Aircraft Following Air India Crash Investigations
Regulatory bodies in India and several Asian nations escalate inspections of Boeing jets after revelations from the Air India crash report raise safety concerns.
Regulatory authorities in India, South Korea, and Singapore are ramping up inspections of fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft following the release of preliminary findings from an investigation into a deadly Air India crash. The crash involved Flight 171 in June, which raised serious questions about aircraft safety.
The investigation revealed that the Boeing 787 involved in the incident had both of its fuel control switches turned off mere seconds after takeoff. Given the switches' locking mechanisms designed to prevent unintentional movement, experts suspect that human interference may have played a role in the switches being turned off.
India's aviation regulators have ordered immediate inspections and reviewed a past advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which recommended airlines inspect the locking mechanisms of fuel control switches to prevent accidental disengagement. Notably, the preliminary report indicated that Air India had not conducted the inspections, as they were not classified as mandatory by regulatory standards.
As a result, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot have already completed inspections on their Boeing fleets. While the investigations continue, they have not yet determined the full cause of the crash or assigned blame, leaving important safety concerns pending resolution.
