WASHINGTON, Jul 14 (Alliance News): The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have stated that the fuel switch locks used in Boeing aircraft, including the 787 Dreamliner, do not pose a safety risk, following concerns raised in the preliminary report into the recent deadly Air India crash.
A Continued Airworthiness Notification, issued by the FAA on July 11 and seen by Reuters, confirmed that despite similarities in fuel switch design across Boeing models, “the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive.”
Boeing reiterated this position in a multi-operator message sent to airlines, saying no action was necessary.
The statements come in the wake of an initial report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which pointed to the fuel cutoff switches as a potential issue in the Air India Boeing 787-8 crash that killed 260 people last month.
The report referenced a 2018 FAA advisory recommending operators inspect the locking mechanisms of these switches to prevent accidental movement—though it was not a mandated directive.
The report revealed Air India had not conducted the suggested inspection, since it was not compulsory. However, maintenance records confirmed that the throttle control module, which houses the fuel switches, was replaced in both 2019 and 2023, and all airworthiness directives had been followed.
Despite these technical details, ALPA India, representing Indian pilots at the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, dismissed speculation of pilot error and demanded a seat at the investigation table, at least as observers.
“The pilots’ body must now be made part of the probe,” ALPA India President Sam Thomas said, arguing the report points toward potential equipment malfunction, not human error.
According to the cockpit voice recorder, one pilot questioned the other about the fuel cutoff, to which the latter responded: “I did not do so.”
The simultaneous flipping of both fuel switches after takeoff remains unexplained in the report.
Two U.S.-based aviation safety experts supported ALPA India’s request, saying it would strengthen the credibility of the investigation. However, they also noted that AAIB’s report did not appear biased and maintained a fair tone in its analysis.
