FAA and Boeing Confirm Safety of Fuel Switch Locks Amid Air India Probe

• Report on Air India crash highlights issues with engine fuel switches.
• U.S. FAA claims that fuel switch locks pose no safety risks.
• Boeing cites FAA notice and does not recommend further action, sources say.

According to a private document obtained by Reuters, both the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have issued statements that the fuel switch locks on Boeing aircraft are safe. This follows a preliminary report concerning the crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8, which tragically resulted in the deaths of 260 individuals last month and raised concerns about the engine fuel cutoff switches.

The FAA’s Continued Airworthiness Notification, dated July 11, communicated to civil aviation authorities emphasized: “While the design of the fuel control switch, particularly the locking feature, is consistent across various Boeing models, the FAA does not regard this as a safety issue that calls for an Airworthiness Directive for any Boeing aircraft, including the Model 787.”

In response to inquiries, the FAA stated it has no additional comments beyond the issued notification.

Boeing echoed the FAA’s notification in a Multi-Operator Message sent to airlines recently, indicating that the company does not recommend any changes, according to two insiders.

The preliminary investigative report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) referenced a 2018 FAA advisory. This advisory suggested, but did not require, operators of several Boeing aircraft models, including the 787, to check the locking mechanism of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be activated unintentionally.

Air India reportedly did not perform the FAA-recommended inspections, citing that the advisory was non-mandatory. However, maintenance records revealed that the throttle control module, which encompasses the fuel switches, had been replaced in 2019 and again in 2023 on the aircraft involved in the accident.

The report noted that “all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were adhered to concerning the aircraft and its engines.”

ALPA India, representing Indian pilots within the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, publicly rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for a “fair, fact-based examination.”

Sam Thomas, President of ALPA India, stated in an interview with Reuters that “the pilots’ association should now be included in the investigation process as observers.”

In a letter shared on social media platform X, ALPA India referred to the preliminary investigation report that mentioned the 2018 FAA advisory “about the fuel control switch gates, suggesting possible equipment malfunction.”

In the moments leading up to the crash, one pilot reportedly asked the other why the fuel had been cut off, to which the second pilot responded that he had not done so. The report indicated that fuel switches had nearly simultaneously transitioned from “run” to “cutoff” shortly after takeoff, yet it did not clarify how the switches could have changed position during the flight.

Several safety experts from the U.S. supported ALPA India’s request for observer status in the investigation but indicated that the report did not imply bias towards pilot error.

John Cox, a pilot and former representative of ALPA U.S., remarked that the AAIB’s report appeared to be objective and just.