After both engines failed on an Air India Boeing 787 during takeoff, questions quickly surfaced about a critical cockpit control, but the FAA says there’s no design flaw to blame.

FAA Declares Boeing 787 Fuel Cutoff Switches Safe

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated that the fuel cutoff switches aboard the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are functioning properly and do not pose a safety threat. This comes after a preliminary report by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) found that both engines shut down on Air India Flight 171 shortly after takeoff from Delhi, killing one crew member. The report indicated that the fuel shutoff switches were placed into the “CUTOFF” position.

The FAA concluded its review and informed carriers that there is no systemic flaw in the design of the switches. These guarded toggle switches are located on the center console between the pilots and are specifically designed to prevent accidental activation. According to the preliminary report, the captain asked, “Why did you cut off?” to which the first officer responded, “I did not do so.” Despite the switches being returned to “RUN,” both engines had already lost thrust during that critical phase of flight, leading to the deadly crash.

> Read More: Preliminary Report Shows Fuel Switches Flipped Seconds After Takeoff

Although no official mandates were issued, the FAA emphasized that it had previously addressed a related concern in a 2018 bulletin (with a Boeing 737), but again determined that no Airworthiness Directive was warranted at that time either. Instead, the FAA does not consider the issue to be unsafe.

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 Boeing 787.

While US, European, and other major safety regulators are not mandating any action, the South Korean Ministry of Transport is requiring inspections of all 787s operated in the country, a more cautious stance in contrast to the FAA. The inspection will focus on the fuel switches.

CONCLUSION

The FAA believes the root cause was not a mechanical defect but likely human error. For now, the 787 remains cleared to fly, and no changes to aircraft systems are planned. Next, we’ll shift to the pilots involved in the AI171 crash.

image: @turbinetraveler/ X // Hat Tip: One Mile At A Time