Etihad issues safety alert on Boeing 787 fuel switches post Air-India AI 171 crash
The Abu-Dhabi based airline issued a safety bulletin on July 12 - the same day the preliminary report was made public - urging pilots to be particularly careful when handing fuel control switches or controls in their vicinity.
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A day after India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that the fuel control switches were moved to the "cut-off" position shortly after take-off in the Air India AI 171 crash, Etihad Airways has directed its pilots to "exercise caution" while operating fuel switches on Boeing 787 aircraft, according to a report by The Hindu.
The Abu-Dhabi based airline issued a safety bulletin on July 12 - the same day the preliminary report was made public - urging pilots to be particularly careful when handing fuel control switches or controls in their vicinity.
Etihad has also launched an internal investigation into the operational design and function of the switches.
The global fallout of the crash is extending beyond the Middle East. South Korea is reportedly preparing to issue similar directives for its carriers that fly Boeing aircraft, instructing them to closely examine the function and layout of their fuel control systems. The news was first reported by Reuters.
The tragic crash of Air India flight AI 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner en route to London Gatwick, occurred on June 12 just minutes after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The aircraft slammed into a hostel complex belonging to Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College, killing 241 of the 242 passengers onboard - including 53 British Nationals - and several students and residents on the ground. The lone survivor was a British-Indian man seated in 11A.
In the wake of the preliminary report, Boeing defended the safety of its fuel control design, stating that the switches meet global aviation standards.
However, the initial findings have sparked concern and controversy. India's pilots' association has publicly rejected any assertion of pilot error, while families of the victims expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation, calling the report "inconclusive" and demanding a more transparent probe, the report added.
