B 787 fuel switch issue: AI flight flown after physical checks, no abnormal parameters noticed:DGCA
New Delhi (PTI): Aviation regulator DGCA on Tuesday said Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which faced fuel control switch glitch, took off from London on February 1 after the crew carried out a physical check of the switch and that no abnormal parameters were observed during start of the engine or thereafter.
The fuel control switch of the left engine of the aircraft, which operated the flight AI132 to Bengaluru that had more than 200 people on board, did not latch on the 'RUN' position twice during the engine start at London Heathrow and on the third attempt, the switch was properly locked in the 'RUN' position.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) detailed statement explaining the sequences related to the Dreamliner also came against the backdrop of concerns in certain quarters on the aircraft operating the flight despite the fuel control switch issue.
On February 1, Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner VT-ANX faced fuel control switch issue during engine start in London.
"During engine start in London, on two occasions crew observed that the fuel control switch did not remain positively latched in the "RUN" position when light vertical pressure was applied.
"On the third attempt, the switch latched correctly in 'RUN' and subsequently remained stable. Before continuing with the rest of procedure, a physical verification was performed by the crew to confirm that the switch was fully and positively latched in the 'RUN' position," DGCA said in the statement.
The regulator also said that no abnormal engine parameters, cautions, warnings, or related system messages were observed during engine start or at any time thereafter.
"The operating crew member was briefed on the observation, unnecessary contact with the switch was avoided, and engine indications and alerting systems were closely monitored by the crew for the remainder of the flight. The flight was completed without incident," the statement said.
'RUN' and 'CUT OFF' are used to start or shut down engines, respectively.
After the incident was reported, Air India's engineering team made certain observations based on Boeing recommended checks to establish the serviceability of fuel control switch.
Citing the team's observations, DGCA said both the left and right switches were checked and found satisfactory, with the locking tooth/pawl fully seated and not slipping from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF'.
"When full force was applied parallel to the base plate, the switch remained secure. However, applying external force in an incorrect direction caused the switch to move easily from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF', due to the angular base plate allowing slip when pressed improperly with finger or thumb," DGCA said quoting the engineering team's observations.
On the basis of Boeing's communication, DGCA said the pull-to-unlock force was checked on the fuel control switch using the recommended procedure on the involved fuel cut off switch, the fuel control unit to be installed and fuel cut off switch of another aircraft.
"In all cases the pull-to-unlock force was found within limits. These inspections were carried out in the presence of DGCA officers," the statement said.
An Air India pilot on Monday reported the defect with the fuel control switch after the aircraft landed in Bengaluru. The airline has grounded the plane for checks.
The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, or Dreamliner, that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned about fuel supply being cut off soon after take-off.
In the statement, the DGCA also advised Air India to circulate the procedure recommended by Boeing for the operation of fuel 'CUT OFF' switch to its crew members.
This came against the backdrop of a video, which the DGCA said has demonstrated the procedure for operating the fuel 'CUT OFF' switch was incorrect.
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Rs 30,000 cr loss a month: Oil companies bleed as fuel prices on hold amid global energy spike
New Delhi (PTI): About Rs 700-1,000 crore loss per day. Rs 30,000 crore every month. India's state oil companies are quietly absorbing a massive financial hit to keep petrol, diesel and LPG prices unchanged even as global energy markets face a turmoil that is bigger than all previous crises combined.
While countries from Japan to United Kingdom have raised petrol and diesel prices by up to 30 per cent since the start of the West Asia conflict, fuel prices in India continue at two-year-old levels.
The war disrupted India's import of 40 per cent of crude oil (raw material for making petrol and diesel), 90 per cent cooking gas LPG and 65 per cent natural gas (used to generate electricity, make fertilizer, turned into CNG and piped to household kitchens for cooking), but state-owned oil companies have maintained uninterrupted fuel supplies with no rationing or shortage at any point in the last 10 weeks.
But this has come at a cost - Rs 30,000 crore under-recovery or loss every month for the three oil marketing companies - Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The under-recoveries - the gap between input costs and realised retail prices - rose sharply in March/April before tapering a bit. Daily under-recoveries during April were estimated at about Rs 18 per litre on petrol and Rs 25 per litre on diesel, translating into average losses of Rs 700-1,000 crore a day for OMCs, they said.
At a news briefing on developments in West Asia, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said prices in the international markets, on which India relies to meet 88 per cent of its oil needs, have been volatile and supplies impacted.
Crude oil prices which were around USD 70 per barrel two months ago, are now at USD 120, she said. "It has been government's endeavour to keep prices stable so far and that there is no price increase for consumers," she said. "This has hit finances of OMCs... monthly under-recoveries are of the order of Rs 30,000 crore."
She, however, refused to say if retail petrol and diesel prices will continue to hold.
"As I said, the endeavour so far has been to see that there is no price increase," she said.
The three oil marketing companies (OMCs) have worked overtime to keep the supply lines running even when demand spiked due to panic buying.
The government intervention included excise duty reductions and absorption of part of the fuel cost burden. The special additional excise duty on petrol was cut to Rs 3 per litre from Rs 13, while excise duty on diesel was reduced to zero from Rs 10 per litre.
The under-recoveries would have swelled to nearly Rs 62,500 crore had the government not cut excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 10 per litre each.
The government, Sharma said, has taken a hit of Rs 14,000 crore a month in cutting the excise duty.
The Centre's effective absorption at peak crude prices was estimated at around Rs 24 per litre for petrol and Rs 30 per litre for diesel.
The February 28 strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran triggered a sharp escalation in West Asia tensions. Energy prices surged as the conflict widened and shipping risks intensified in the Strait of Hormuz - the shipping lane through which India and other countries imported crude oil, LPG and natural gas from Gulf countries. Tanker movement was disrupted.
The companies also faced additional costs from emergency crude sourcing, higher freight charges due to vessel diversions, elevated marine insurance premiums and refinery optimisation expenses. Despite these pressures, fuel and LPG supplies remained uninterrupted across the country.
The surge in crude prices and the decision to shield consumers from higher retail prices placed significant strain on OMC balance sheets and refining margins, sources said.
They added that the measures reflected a policy decision to prioritise consumer stability and economic continuity during a global energy shock.
Sources warned that a prolonged period of elevated crude prices could lead to higher working capital borrowings and force some recalibration of capital expenditure plans. However, investments linked to refining expansion, energy security infrastructure, ethanol blending, biofuels and transition fuels would continue with government backing, they said.
India's approach contrasted with measures adopted by several other economies, where fuel prices rose sharply after the conflict-driven energy shock.
Petrol prices increased by about 34 per cent in Spain, 30 per cent in Japan, Italy and Israel, 27 per cent in Germany and 22 per cent in the United Kingdom, according to estimates. Several countries also introduced rationing, conservation advisories, emergency relief packages or fuel caps.
In India, petrol prices remained Rs 94.77 per litre and diesel at Rs 87.67, with no rationing, mobility restrictions or supply disruptions, they added.
Sharma said the revenues that OMCs earn are used to buy crude oil, build infrastructure to process it into fuel and create channels that will take the fuel to consumers.
Their capex spending is all dependent on the revenues they earn, she added.
