Air India crash: US aviation watchdog defends Boeing fuel controls

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has defended the safety of fuel control switches used in Boeing aircraft, despite their possible involvement in the fatal Air India crash last month that claimed 260 lives.

A preliminary report released by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) on July 11 indicated that fuel supply to the engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was abruptly cut off shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on June 23, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The London-bound Flight 171 crashed into a nearby medical college building less than a minute into the flight.

The accident, described as one of the deadliest aviation disasters in nearly a decade, has raised serious concerns over the design and safety of the aircraft’s fuel control switches.

According to the AAIB's early findings, switches that control fuel flow to the jet’s engines were moved from the “run” position to “cut-off” shortly after departure, leading to an immediate loss of thrust. Investigators noted that a 2018 FAA advisory had previously urged — though did not mandate — inspection of these switches to ensure their locking mechanisms could prevent accidental movement.

Air India, the report stated, had not carried out such inspections.

Despite the findings, the FAA has reiterated its stance that the design of the switches does not constitute an unsafe condition. In an internal note circulated to international civil aviation authorities and shared with the BBC, the FAA stated: “Although the fuel control switch design, including the locking feature, is similar on various Boeing airplane models, the FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787.”

The authority acknowledged reviewing the Indian investigators’ report and reaffirmed that its 2018 guidance was based on reports of fuel switches being installed with their locking features disengaged. However, it maintained that this does not undermine the overall airworthiness of the aircraft.

“The FAA will continue to share relevant information with foreign civil aviation authorities as appropriate,” it said.

The AAIB also revealed that cockpit voice recordings captured one pilot questioning the other over whether he had cut the fuel. The second pilot denied doing so. Investigators reported that both switches had flipped to the cut-off position almost simultaneously, though the mechanism by which this occurred remains unclear.

The sole survivor of the crash was a British national. A final report detailing the full cause of the incident is expected within the next 12 months.

Air India and Boeing have yet to comment publicly on the preliminary findings.

Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad airport on 23 June 2025 en route to London Gatwick, killing 260 people. The aircraft lost power moments after departure and plunged into a nearby medical college building.

By Aghakazim Guliyev