DGCA begins probe after Air India, IndiGo aircraft touch wingtips in Mumbai

The DGCA has begun its inuquiry into an accident involving wing tips of two taxying aircraft at the Mumbai Airport on Tuesday night. An Air India Airbus A320 and an IndiGo A320, came into contact during ground movement, as per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to officials, Air India flight AI2732, operating an A320 aircraft with registration VT-TYF, was taxying from C1 towards M4 for departure when an IndiGo A320 aircraft, registered as VT-IFV, was taxying on arrival and joining taxying B1. During taxying, the right wingtips of both aircraft came into contact.

Following the incident, both aircraft were taken back to their respective bays for inspection. Officials from the DGCA's Mumbai office have reached the site to assess the situation and conduct further checks. Further details are awaited. 

 

A day earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released a rejoinder on Tuesday regarding the purported malfunction of the fuel cut-off switch on Air India Boeing B787-8 aircraft VT-ANX, which was identified by the crew on two occasions on January 1.

They clarified that an external force was applied in the wrong direction, resulting in the switch from "RUN to CUTOFF".

"Both left and right switches were checked and found satisfactory, with the locking tooth/pawl fully seated and not slipping from RUN to CUTOFF. 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 CUTOFF, due to the angular base plate allowing slip when pressed improperly with finger or thumb," the rejoinder said.

It comes after an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft was grounded after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

An Air India spokesperson said that one of its pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and the matter has been communicated to DGCA, the country's aviation regulator.