India orders urgent inspections after Air India crash
- The DGCA issued a directive for safety inspections on fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft following a crash investigation.
- The inspection deadline was set for July 21, 2023, to ensure airworthiness and safety after preliminary findings suggested fuel supply was cut off during takeoff.
- The crash, which killed 260 people, has prompted significant safety measures in Indian aviation.
In the wake of a tragic airplane crash in India, aviation authorities mandated inspections of fuel switches on various Boeing aircraft. The crash occurred on June 12, 2023, when an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner tragically went down shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, claiming 260 lives. Preliminary investigations indicated that shortly after takeoff, the fuel switches had flipped from the 'run' position to 'cutoff', leading to a failure in fuel supply to the engines, causing the crash. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) responded to the incident by setting a July 21 deadline for airlines to conduct thorough inspections, underscoring the urgent need for safety checks following such a catastrophic event. The aviation body made it clear that adherence to this timeline is crucial for ensuring the airworthiness of Boeing fleets in India. Following the crash and the DGCA's order, multiple airlines initiated independent safety checks on their aircraft, highlighting a growing concern regarding fuel switch safety mechanisms used across several Boeing models. While authorities and airlines scramble to tighten safety protocols, speculation regarding pilot error has sparked debates, causing unions to call for accurate representations of the events leading up to the crash. The crash raises questions about the management of aircraft safety standards and the implications of mechanical failures versus human error impacting aviation disasters.