Indian civil aviation authorities will travel to Seattle to oversee tests conducted by Boeing on a component of the Boeing 787's fuel system, according to documents seen by Reuters. These tests are part of an investigation into an incident involving an Air India flight to London.
The tests involve a fuel control panel removed from a Boeing 787 after pilots reported a potential malfunction during a flight from London to Bengaluru in February. Indian authorities have described the checks as "sensitive" and insist on being present during the tests.
According to government sources, the inspections carried out in Seattle are specifically aimed at examining the fuel switch locking mechanism. These components play a crucial role in engine operation, regulating the fuel flow required for the aircraft to function.
Concerns about this system were reignited after a fatal crash involving an Air India Boeing 787 last June in the state of Gujarat, which claimed 260 lives. The preliminary investigation report highlighted a possible malfunction of the fuel switches, which reportedly deactivated almost simultaneously, resulting in a loss of engine power.
During the February incident, pilots found that the switches did not stay in the correct position during the first attempts to start the engines, before functioning normally during a later test, according to the Indian Civil Aviation Authority.
These elements once again place the American manufacturer under scrutiny, as investigators seek to determine whether a technical defect or a design flaw could be the cause of the recent incidents involving the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
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