Air India has announced that inspections of fuel control switches on its Boeing aircraft have revealed “no issues”, following the fatal crash of a 787 Dreamliner last month that killed 260 people. The airline ordered checks on the locking mechanisms of all fuel switches as a precaution after a preliminary report indicated that the switches had been turned off during the ill-fated flight.
The preliminary report by India’s aviation authority found that the fuel switches, which control supply to the engines, were shut off “one after another” shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad. This starved the engines of fuel, causing them to fail and leading to the crash. The report did not recommend any action against Boeing.
According to the Wall Street Journal, US investigators are now focusing on the actions of the plane’s captain, Sumeet Sabharwal. The black-box recording reportedly suggests that first officer Clive Kunder questioned the captain about moving the switches, which Sabharwal denied. The Journal cited sources saying Kunder panicked while the captain remained calm, though it did not say whether the action was deliberate or accidental.
Indian authorities have not assigned blame, and the Federation of Indian Pilots criticised the WSJ report as “baseless”, accusing it of seeking to blame the pilot. India’s civil aviation minister urged against jumping to conclusions, while two pilot groups condemned suggestions of pilot error as “reckless insinuation”.
Relatives of the victims expressed frustration at the “vague and inexact” preliminary report. Air India’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, acknowledged the report had raised questions but urged staff to avoid premature conclusions as the investigation continues.
