Air India announced on Tuesday that it had completed inspections of its Boeing fleet and found no issues with the locking mechanisms of fuel switches, which have come under scrutiny following a recent crash.
Last month, an Air India Boeing 787-8 jet, bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in the deaths of 260 individuals, including 19 on the ground.
The investigation into the crash's cause is expected to take months or years, but a preliminary report from India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau indicated that the fuel switches, responsible for controlling engine fuel supply, shifted positions seconds prior to the crash.
Safety experts noted that regardless of whether the switch movement was intentional or accidental, it is improbable that it occurred without human intervention, as fuel switches are equipped with locking mechanisms designed to prevent unintended adjustments.
Following the crash, Indian regulators mandated that airlines inspect the fuel switches on all Boeing aircraft. Air India, the country's flagship airline, confirmed in a statement that it had conducted precautionary inspections on the locking mechanisms and found no issues.
In the incident involving Air India Flight 171 on June 12, fuel control switches for both engines transitioned from the "RUN" position to "CUTOFF," leading to fuel cessation and a subsequent loss of altitude for the aircraft.
The initial report from the investigation bureau detailed a conversation between the pilots, with one asking why the other had cut off fuel supply, to which the other replied that he had not done so.
About ten seconds after the fuel supply was stopped, attempts were made to reactivate it, but the aircraft failed to regain power swiftly enough to halt its descent, according to the report.
Further reporting contributed to this article.