India’s aviation regulator has instructed airlines to inspect fuel control switches on several Boeing aircraft models following the deadly crash of an Air India jet last month.
The order, issued Monday by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), comes after a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau found that fuel switches had moved from the “run” to “cutoff” position shortly after the June 12 takeoff.
DGCA directed all operators using Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft to inspect the locking mechanisms on fuel switches to ensure they can not be moved unintentionally.
The inspection must be completed by July 21.
The order aligns with a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration, which also called for checks on fuel switch locks.
Boeing has said the components are safe but acknowledged the need for precautionary reviews.
In the meantime, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged staff not to draw conclusions before the investigation is complete. “The investigation is ongoing, and it would be unwise to jump to premature conclusions,” he said in a message to employees.
Notably, the crash involved a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route from Ahmedabad to London.
It claimed the lives of 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 people on the ground. That is one of the deadliest air disasters in Indian aviation history.