BIG move by DGCA after Air India plane crash report, directs all airlines to...

India's aviation watchdog, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has ordered all airlines operating in the country to examine fuel switches on Boeing planes, including the 787, 747, and 737 models. Airlines have been directed to complete checks and look for malfunctions in switch locking systems in one week, by July 21. The DGCA on Monday said several Indian and international airlines had already begun the inspection of their Boeing aircraft. The directive comes days after the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) submitted its preliminary report on investigation into the tragic Air India plane crash of June 12, pointing to possible issues with fuel switches.

What did DGCA say?
"DGCA issues Mandatory Modifications for aircraft/engines/components registered in India based on the Airworthiness Directives issued by State of Design/Manufacture," the Indian aviation regulator said in a statement on Monday. "It has come to the notice of DGCA, that several operators-internationally as well as domestic have initiated inspection on their aircraft fleet as per the SAIB NM-18-33 dated 17th December 2018," it added. Notably, the United States' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued an advisory in 2018, recommending operators of Boeing aircraft to inspect the locking feature of fuel switches.

What did AAIB probe find?
The AAIB, in its report released on July 12, said fuel switches on the crashed Air India plane had been turned off just moments after takeoff. In cockpit voice recording, one pilot could be heard asking the other why he had cut off fuel, to which the latter responded he did not do so. What actually caused the fuel switch to go off remains unclear. On June 12, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane operated by Air India with 242 people onboard -- 230 passengers and 12 crew members -- crashed shortly after taking off from the Ahmedabad international airport, killing almost everyone on board. The accident marked one of India's deadliest aviation accidents ever. The plane crashed in a residential area close to the airport and killed dozens others on the ground.