SIA checks Boeing 787 fuel switches, says they're functioning properly

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is also working with SIA and Scoot to conduct inspections of the fuel control switches of all active Singapore-registered Boeing aircraft

Singapore Airlines on Tuesday said all fuel switches on its Boeing 787 aircraft -- as well as those belonging to its subsidiary Scoot -- are functioning properly in compliance with regulatory requirements.

"As a precautionary measure, SIA and Scoot have carried out and completed checks on the fuel switches of the Boeing 787 aircraft in our fleet," the Channel News Asia quoted SIA as saying.

SIA has 26 B787 planes in its fleet, while its low-cost, wholly owned subsidiary Scoot has 23.

"The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority," said SIA, which is a 25.1 per cent partner of Air India and operator of daily SIA-Scoot flights to India.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is also working with SIA and Scoot to conduct inspections of the fuel control switches of all active Singapore-registered Boeing 737, 787 and 747-400F aircraft, according to the Channel report.

"There have been no findings from the inspections to date," CAAS said.

India, South Korea, and Japan had reported similar moves after a preliminary report on last month's Air India crash showed that the controls of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner were moved from the "run" to "cutoff" position, starving the engines of fuel, according to media reports.

The preliminary report noted a cockpit recording where one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off the engine of flight AI171 which crashed just after take-off in Ahmedabad.

"There's no way that you can accidentally knock it and then it goes in the opposite direction," the Channel had Chow Kok Wah, a former airline executive in aircraft maintenance, as saying.

The June 12 787-8 Dreamliner (AI171) crashed after take-off, hitting a medical college hostel, leaving 260 people dead - 229 passengers and 12 crew members as well as people on the ground.