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News Topical, Digital Desk : The initial investigation report on the Ahmedabad plane crash case has come, which is raising questions. The report said that a few seconds before the plane crashed, the engine's fuel control switch was moved from RUN to CUTOFF. The report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) also said that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued a bulletin in 2018 regarding the locking feature of the fuel control switch.
On this, Air India has said that the situation for which the FAA had issued the bulletin was not considered unsafe. This requires more serious instructions. Air India told the investigators that it did not carry out the suggested inspections because they were advisory, not mandatory.
What was said in the investigation report?
"The FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) Number NM-18-33 on Dec. 17, 2028, regarding the potential disruption of the fuel control switch locking feature," the initial report said.
It further said, "These SAIBs were issued based on reports from operators of model 737 aircraft that the fuel control switches were installed without the locking feature. The airworthiness concern was not considered a safety condition that would warrant issuance of an airworthiness directive by the FAA."
'SAIB not made mandatory'
"As per information received from Air India, the suggested inspections were not carried out as the SAIB was an advisory order and not mandatory. Examination of the maintenance records showed that the throttle control module on VT-ANB was replaced in 2019 and 2023," the report said.
The report did not assign any findings or blame for the June 12 crash, but indicated that one pilot asked the other why the fuel control switch cutoff was off, to which the other pilot replied "I didn't do that."
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