The directive comes after a probe report on the Air India plane crash said that both fuel switches flipped from ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ shortly after take-off.
The Etihad Airways has ordered their pilots to “excercise caution” with fuel switches on the Boeing 787 aircraft, The Hindu reported on Monday.
The directive came on the day of a preliminary probe report on the June 12 Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad was released, revealing that both fuel switches on the flight flipped from the ‘RUN’ to the ‘CUTOFF’ positions shortly after take-off.
South Korea is also planning a similar move for its airlines operating Boeing aircraft, news agency Reuters reported. The country is preparing to order all its airlines that operate Boeing planes to examine the fuel control switches.
Meanwhile, besides ordering pilots to tread carefully with the switches, Etihad Airways has also ordered an investigation into how the fuel control switches operate.
Etihad’s orders to pilots and South Korea’s reported plan for a similar move for its airlines follow a notification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing that said the fuel control switches on its planes, including 787, were not unsafe.South Korea is also planning a similar move for its airlines operating Boeing aircraft, news agency Reuters reported. The country is preparing to order all its airlines that operate Boeing planes to examine the fuel control switches.
Meanwhile, besides ordering pilots to tread carefully with the switches, Etihad Airways has also ordered an investigation into how the fuel control switches operate.
Etihad’s orders to pilots and South Korea’s reported plan for a similar move for its airlines follow a notification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing that said the fuel control switches on its planes, including 787, were not unsafe.
“Although the fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787,” the notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by news agency Reuters, read.
Etihad’s mandates for pilots
Etihad released a bulletin on July 12, the day the Air India plane crash’s probe report released, asking pilots to “exercise caution when operating the fuel control switches or any other switches/control in their vicinity”.
The airline says that that this measure is being taken “out of an abundance of caution,”.
A separate bulletin from Etihad mandates inspections of the fuel control locking mechanism across its Boeing 787 fleet, with a detailed guide for engineers to verify proper engagement of this feature, the publication further reported.
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