Air India CEO says report found no mechanical fault as Etihad orders fuel switch check

Air India chief executive officer (CEO) Campbell Wison on Monday (July 14) said that the initial report on the Ahmedabad plane crash prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) did not find any mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines and urged everyone to refrain from making premature conclusions.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Wilson, in a letter to Air India employees, further stated that the report not only provided greater clarity to the incident but also sparked fresh speculation in the media.

Also Read: Air India crash report: ‘No pilot would do that,’ say experts

‘No mechanical issues’

“Instead of focusing on such interpretations, I suggest we note that the Preliminary Report found no mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft or engines, and that all mandatory maintenance tasks had been completed. There was no issue with the quality of fuel and no abnormality with the take-off roll. The pilots had passed their mandatory pre-flight breathalyser and there were no observations pertaining to their medical status,” stated Wilson as quoted in the report.

The Air India CEO further stated that “out of an abundance of caution”, all the Boeing 787 aircraft in Air India’s fleet were subjected to thorough inspection within days of the deadly crash, and no issues were found in them.

Wilson also called for avoiding drawing premature conclusions, pointing out that the investigation was far from over, adding that Air India will continue to cooperate with the investigators.

Also Read: Air India crash report: Pilots' body alleges bias in preliminary report

Etihad orders fuel switch checks

Meanwhile, days after the release of the preliminary Air India flight crash report, Etihad, an Abu Dhabi-based airline, has issued an order initiating precautionary examination of the engine fuel control switches of its fleet of Boeing 787 fleet, reported the Indian Express.

The report further stated that Etihad on Sunday issued an engineering work instruction (EWI) in this regard. The airlines had laid down the procedure for the inspection of the fuel control switches’ locking feature.

However, earlier US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing had notified airlines operating the Boeing 787 aircraft that the fuel switch locks on the planes were safe.

The preliminary AAIB report stated that both switches feeding fuel to the two engines of the Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft were cut off, followed by confusion among pilots ahead of the crash.