FAA, Boeing Back Boeing 787 Fuel Switch Safety Amid Air India Crash Probe
As investigations into the tragic crash of an <a title="Air India Plane crash" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/india/plane-crash-in-ahmedabad-204-feared-dead/13584" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air India Boeing</a> 787-8 aircraft in Ahmedabad deepen, new developments are challenging the initial narrative that pinned the blame squarely on the cockpit crew.
The crash, which claimed the lives of all 260 people onboard, has been under the lens of India&rsquo;s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). A preliminary report, leaked to the media, stated that both engine fuel control switches on the Dreamliner were found in the &ldquo;cutoff&rdquo; position shortly after takeoff. The <a title="AAIB" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/defence/fuel-switch-focus-in-air-india-crash-probe/16106" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AAIB's</a> document suggested that pilot error could have been the key factor, citing failure to notice or prevent the shutdown of fuel to both engines mid-air.
ALSO READ: https://www.benefitnews24.com/gujarat/251-bodies-identified-in-ahmedabad-plane-crash/14655
However, the plot has taken a sharp turn following internal clarifications from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which have backed the safety of the fuel cutoff switch locks across Boeing aircraft models. In a Continued Airworthiness Notification issued to global civil aviation authorities, the FAA asserted that the design of these switches&mdash;including their locking mechanism&mdash;is consistent across multiple Boeing models, and does not pose an "unsafe condition" requiring an airworthiness directive.
Boeing, in a Multi-Operator Message dispatched to partner airlines, echoed the FAA's assessment, reaffirming confidence in the integrity of the system. These statements, arriving on the heels of the AAIB&rsquo;s leaked preliminary findings, have raised questions over the completeness and accuracy of the Indian agency&rsquo;s investigation.
At the heart of the matter is a 2018 FAA advisory that had recommended&mdash;though not required&mdash;routine inspection of the locking mechanisms on fuel control switches across several Boeing models. Air India reportedly did not implement the advisory, citing its non-mandatory nature. The AAIB report, while confirming that the aircraft was compliant with all applicable airworthiness directives and service bulletins, appeared to interpret this lack of inspection as a contributing factor&mdash;if not the cause&mdash;of the fatal crash.
Meanwhile, the Air Line Pilots Association (<a title="ALPA" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/india/alpa-india-seeks-role-in-air-india-ai-171-crash-probe/16290" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ALPA</a>) of India has firmly rejected the pilot-error hypothesis, terming it premature and unfair. The union has demanded observer status in the ongoing investigation and expressed concerns over the report being selectively leaked before final conclusions were drawn.
The conflicting assessments have stirred unease in aviation circles. With international regulators standing by the safety of Boeing's systems, the credibility and objectivity of the AAIB's findings&mdash;and the motive behind the leak&mdash;are now under increasing scrutiny.
As the formal investigation continues, families of the victims and industry watchers alike await clarity on whether human error, system failure, or a combination of both brought down the ill-fated aircraft that day over Gujarat&rsquo;s skies.

Air India Crash wreckage at the Ahmedabad Airport

AAIB leak blaming Air India pilots questioned as FAA, Boeing back fuel system safety

FAA, Boeing Defend 787 Fuel Switch After Crash

AAIB leak blaming Air India pilots questioned as FAA, Boeing back fuel system safety

July 14, 2025 | 15:06 IST