In Wake of Crash, India Orders Look at Boeing's Fuel Switches

India's aviation regulator ordered on Monday airlines operating several Boeing models to examine fuel control switches, days after an investigation into last month's Air India plane crash found they were flipped off, starving both engines of fuel. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated the directive would apply to Boeing 787 Dreamliners and select Boeing 737 variants and that airlines must complete inspections and submit their findings to the regulator by Monday, reports the AP. South Korean regulators also ordered inspections of the switches, reports the New York Times, and Singapore Airlines and a subsidiary reported on Tuesday that similar inspections had been completed.

A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people in the northwestern city of Ahmedabad found that the switches shifted within one second of each other, cutting off fuel to both engines. The report, released last week, did not offer any conclusions as to why the plane crashed. It also did not say how the switches could have flipped from run position to the cutoff during the flight. The report, issued by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, noted a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration, recommending airlines operating Boeing models to inspect the locking feature of fuel cutoff switches.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson on Monday said the preliminary report into the crash of the London-bound plane found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft and its engines. In an internal memo to airline staff seen by the AP, Wilson said the report stated that all mandatory maintenance tasks of the aircraft had been completed. "There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyzer and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status," he said. After the crash, Indian authorities ordered deeper checks of Air India's entire Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet to prevent future incidents. Air India has 33 Dreamliners in its fleet.