Air India Ahmedabad plane crash: Airlines should check fuel switch lock mechanism

NEW DELHI: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has directed airlines to check the fuel control switches of all aircraft in the country. The investigation team had found that the plane crashed in Ahmedabad after the fuel flow to the engines was cut off.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau had stated in its preliminary investigation report submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation that the fuel control switches had been moved from the 'run' position to the 'cutoff' position. The Federal Aviation Administration in the US had warned in 2018 about the malfunction of the locking feature of the fuel control switches, including on Boeing aircraft. The DGCA has pointed this out. The inspection should be completed and the report should be submitted before July 21.

Air India says no evidence of technical fault

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has said there is no evidence of mechanical or maintenance failure on the crashed Air India Flight 171 Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The AAIB's preliminary investigation report clearly states this. All maintenance work was completed before takeoff. No fuel problems were found. The report also did not contain any observations on the mental state of the pilots, the CEO said in a letter to employees.