United News of Bangladesh

India’s aviation regulator has instructed airlines to inspect specific Boeing aircraft models following last month’s deadly Air India crash which killed 260 people. On Monday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed all carriers operating Boeing 787 Dreamliners and certain Boeing 737 variants to examine their fuel control switches. Airlines must complete inspections and report their findings by July 21. The order comes after a preliminary investigation into the June 12 crash near Ahmedabad found both engines were deprived of fuel when the switches were flipped off almost simultaneously. The report, released last week, did not clarify how or why the switches moved from the “run” to the “cutoff” position mid-flight. Fuel to Air India plane was cut off moments before crash, report says The switches regulate fuel flow to the engines. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard and 19 on the ground. Investigators cited a 2018 U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advisory that recommended checking the locking mechanism of these switches on Boeing planes. Cockpit audio recordings revealed a moment of confusion between the pilots, with one asking why the fuel had been cut. The other denied taking such action. Some Indian aviation experts have suggested pilot error, though pilot unions strongly rejected such claims. The Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association condemned “reckless and unfounded” speculation, including theories of pilot suicide. Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the probe found no mechanical or maintenance faults with the aircraft. In a memo to staff, he noted the aircraft had passed all mandatory maintenance and safety checks, and the pilots were medically cleared. Following the crash, Indian authorities ordered comprehensive checks of all 33 Dreamliners in Air India’s fleet.

Flight operations at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport resumed on Friday afternoon after three and half hours of disruption caused by the wheel puncture of a Boeing aircraft blocking the runway. The flights resumed around 4:30pm after removing the Biman aircraft from the runway, said Hafiz Ahmed, manager of the airport. Earlier, one of the wheels of the Boeing-737 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines got punctured with a big bang when it began its approach to take off. According to the airport authority, the aircraft carrying 148 passengers was scheduled to take off for Dhaka around 12.55pm. Passenger Mostak Hyat Khan said, “We were panicked as the aircraft started shaking after a big bang.” After the shaking, the pilot slowed the speed of the plane and tried to take off but was forced to halt when they came to know about the problem, Khan said. “We were stranded inside the aircraft for around 40 minutes and later brought to the airport lounge,” he added.

The two Boeing aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines that collided with each other in the hangar area of Dhaka airport have come into operation on Thursday. However, the incident is still under investigation, said a media release from Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Also read:Collision between two Biman planes at Shahjalal Int’l Airport Earlier on Sunday, the Boeing 777-300ER collided with the Boeing 737-800 aircraft while entering the hangar inside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The radome and front bulkhead of the 777 aircraft and the horizontal stabilizer on the left of the 737 aircraft were partially damaged due to the collision, said the release. The two damaged aircraft have been readied for take off in a short period of time due to the efforts of skilled aircraft engineers.