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US regulator flagged fuel switch issues in 2018, what Air India told probe team: ‘Not mandatory’
In 2018, US FAA issued bulletin on potential problems with fuel switch locking mechanism on Boeing aircraft; it prevents inadvertent movement of switches
Fuel control switches, a key element in the probe into the June 12 Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad, were flagged as a potential issue by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) seven years ago on Boeing airplanes.
Air India told the probe team that it did not carry out the suggested inspections because these were advisory and not mandatory.
The particular plane, the VT-ANB, had a clean maintenance record since 2023, as per details in the preliminary report that came out on Saturday. All required inspections were current, and the aircraft had valid airworthiness certificates, the report said.
What US FAA flagged in Boeing planes
As for the particular issue, here's the breakdown:
- It was in 2018 that the US FAA issued Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB), NM-18-33, on potential problems with fuel control switch locking mechanisms on Boeing aircraft.
- The bulletin came after reports that these switches were installed with their locking features disengaged on some Boeing 737s.
- These locking features are there to prevent inadvertent or mistaken movement of the switches. When the lock is disengaged, the switches can potentially be moved even by vibration, inadvertent touch, or other factors.
- The FAA did not consider this serious enough to issue a mandatory directive, but the bulletin recommended inspections as an advisory.
How was fuel cut off?
The preliminary investigation into the Air India flight AI171 crash said that just seconds before the plane went down near the airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines, but the other pilot denied having done that. It remains to be probed whether the fuel was cut off; and if so, whether it was human contact or a mechanical or system malfunction.
Also read | Pilot association questions direction of Air India crash probe: ‘Presumes guilt’
The airline had replaced this aircraft's throttle control module twice— in 2019 and 2023 — but these replacements were not related to fuel switches.
It must be noted — as the civil aviation minister also stressed — that this is a preliminary report, findings of which could shift as more evidence is gathered.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from Ahmedabad was involved in the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade on June 12. Both engines of the plane shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. Investigators have ruled out any bird strike or external damage, though the cause of the fuel cutoff remains under investigation.
