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The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice to international counterparts that the fuel control switches on Boeing planes do not pose safety issues, like the Dreamliner involved in the fatal Air India crash last month.
Notification to the FAA’s foreign civil aviation authorities followed a preliminary report by the Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau that the engine of the Air India Flight 171 was temporarily cut off shortly after takeoff on June 12th.
AAIB reports that the switch that controls the fuel flow to the jet’s two engines moved from “driving” to “cutoff” position, obstructing the plane’s thrust.
The AAIB also pointed to a 2018 bulletin issued by the FAA regarding the design of fuel-controlled switches for various Boeing planes, including the Dreamliner 787 used in flight 171.
According to an AAIB report, the bulletin recommended that driving Boeing models including the 787, including the 787, be inspected for the locking mechanism of the fuel cutoff switch.
In the cockpit audio recording of Flight 171, one of the pilots is heard asking the other person “Why did you cut it off?” He replied, “He didn’t,” the report said.
The 2018 bulletin “is based on reports that the fuel control switch was installed with the lock function unlocked,” the FAA said in a notification Friday.
“The design of fuel-controlled switches, including locking features, is similar for various Boeing Aircraft models, but the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that guarantees airworthiness instructions for Boeing Aircraft models including the Model 787,” the FAA notification continued.
“The FAA will continue to share relevant information with foreign civil aviation authorities as needed.”
Boeing has featured requests for comment to the FAA that did not comment beyond the notification. Reuters previously reported the contents of the notification.
Flight 171 was scheduled to travel from Ahmedabad to Gatwick Airport in London. When the plane crashed into a nearby medical college where it took off, 260 people died, marking the most fatal plane crash for over a decade.
AAIB is investigating crashes in coordination with the US National Transportation Safety Board and the UK Air Accident Investigation Division, as the FAA provides technical support.
According to AAIB, crash investigators continued to gather information in search of evidence as actions were not recommended for users of Boeing Dreamliner or GE Aerospace Engines.
