After the preliminary report of the plane crash in Ahmedabad was released, many questions have arisen. There are contradictions in the statements of Air India, Boeing and the government report. Recently, an important thing has come to light that just four weeks before the accident, the British Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had issued an alert on the fuel control switch issue. It had directed routine checks on five models including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. But Air India ignored it and did not check the fuel switch. Britain’s CAA had issued a security alert on May 15 that the fuel shutoff valve actuator installed in some Boeing aircraft could pose a potential risk. Due to which all airline operators were directed to review the FAA’s Airworthiness Directive (AD). The alert included Boeing’s 737, 757, 767, 777 and 787 models. Airlines operating these models were instructed to inspect, test and modify the fuel shutoff valve actuators on their aircraft. Notably, the 787 model crashed in Ahmedabad. Air India ignored the alert Air India ignored this alert. Air India said that the Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) issued by the FAA in 2018 was only an advisory, which was not mandatory. Therefore, we did not inspect the fuel control switch. The initial report released by the AAIB said that according to the information received from Air India, it did not conduct testing as it was advised. Because, SAIB had only advised, it did not ask for mandatory inspection. The throttle control module of the VT-ANB aircraft was replaced in 2019 and 2023. But it is not related to the fuel control switch. What did the initial report say? The initial report stated that there has been no problem related to the fuel control switch in the VT-ANB aircraft since 2023. Now this has become the biggest serious question that why Air India did not take the CAA’s safety alert of May 15, 2025 seriously. When this alert was clearly indicating action to the operators. Even if there is advice, it is the responsibility of Air India to check and verify the fuel switch of the specified model of the aircraft once.
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