DGCA orders airlines to conduct fuel switch checks by July 21 amid safety concerns

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a mandatory inspection of engine fuel switches on all affected aircraft registered in India following the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau's (AAIB) preliminary report into the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people.

The DGCA has directed all airline operators to complete the inspection of the engine fuel switches by July 21, 2025. The regulator has also issued mandatory modifications for aircraft, engines, and components based on airworthiness directives issued by the state of design or manufacture.

The order specifically pertains to Boeing Company aircraft models, including the 737 and 787 Dreamliner (787-8/9/10) series, citing a potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking feature.

This directive stems from a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB No. NM-18-33), issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on December 17, 2018, warning about the same risk.

This move follows the release of the 15-page preliminary report by the AAIB into the June 12 crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner in Ahmedabad,



which revealed both engines shut down within seconds of take-off.

According to the AAIB, Engine 1 and Engine 2 fuel cutoff switches transitioned from RUN to CUTOFF within one second of each other, resulting in the engines losing thrust and failing to stabilise despite a momentary recovery.

The aircraft had reached a maximum speed of 180 knots indicated airspeed (IAS) at 08:08:42 UTC, just before both engine fuel cutoff switches moved from "run" to "cutoff", effectively shutting down both engines in-flight.

This led to the crash into the BJ Medical College hostel building, killing 241 passengers and crew on board, along with 19 people on the ground.

The AAIB reported that the aft Extended Airframe Flight Recorder (EAFR) sustained substantial damage and could not be accessed using conventional methods.

However, the wreckage site activities, including drone photography and videography, have been completed, and the wreckage has been moved to a secure area near the airport. Both engines were retrieved and quarantined, and components of interest for further examinations have been identified and are being analysed.