DGCA orders enhanced safety inspection on Air India's Boeing 787-8/9 fleet

As a preventive measure, the DGCA has directed Air India to carry out additional maintenance actions on B787-8/9 aircraft equipped with Genx engines with immediate effect, in coordination with the concerned regional DGCA offices.

Air India has been asked to conduct a few one time check before departure of flight from India starting Sunday. The tests include inspection of Fuel Parameter Monitoring and associated system checks; inspection of cabin air compressor and associated systems; Electronic Engine Control-System Test; Engine Fuel Driven Actuator-Operational Test and oil system check; Serviceability check of Hydraulic system; and Review of Take-off parameters.

Besides, Air India has been asked to introduce 'Flight Control Inspection' in transit inspection till further notice.

Further, power assurance checks must be carried out within two weeks.

DGCA has also asked the Tata Group-owned airline to close maintenance actions as soon as possible based on the review of repetitive snags on B787-8/9 aircraft during the last 15 days.

The regulator told Air India that all the reports of these checks are to be submitted to the DGCA for review.

On Thursday, the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, operating as flight AI 171, was en route to London from Ahmedabad when it crashed shortly after takeoff. There were 242 people on board, including 230 passengers and 12 crew members.

Of the passengers, 241 died in the crash. The lone survivor, identified as Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) on Friday confirmed the recovery of the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR), commonly referred to as the black box, from the rooftop of a building at the site of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarified that, contrary to circulating reports, a video recorder that had been recovered at the crash site was not the DFDR.

The AAIB has launched a full-scale investigation into the crash, with over 40 staff from the Gujarat State Government joining efforts to support the Ministry of Civil Aviation teams on the ground.

The black box, a critical piece of evidence, will be analysed to determine the cause of the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 241 people onboard, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

"Contrary to some reports, the video recorder being circulated is not the DFDR (Digital Flight Data Recorder). The black box was found on the rooftop. AAIB began work with full force immediately. Over 40 staff from the State Government joined efforts to augment MoCA teams on site. The DFDR has been recovered from the rooftop," the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) said in a statement.

The investigation is underway, and the recovered DFDR is expected to provide vital insights into the events leading up to the disaster.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and met the survivor and other injured people.

According to airline authorities, the passengers on board included 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. (ANI)