FAA and Boeing affirm safety of Boeing 787 Dreamliner fuel switches

Boeing referred Simple Flying to AAIB’s preliminary report when asked for comments. The FAA’s notification emphasized: “[…] 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.”

In December 2018, a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin was issued by the FAA for several aircraft models warning about potential disengagement of fuel control switch locking features. The bulletin noted reports from operators about disabled locking features in some 737 aircraft switches.

Following AAIB's report on flight AI 171 crash involving aircraft VT-ANB, ALPA India expressed concerns over perceived bias towards pilot error in their statement and called for a fair investigation.

The AAIB detailed cockpit voice recordings where one pilot questioned another about cutting off engine fuel. The timeline showed switches were moved back to 'RUN', but while one engine recovered speed deceleration and acceleration issues persisted with another engine leading up to a tragic crash claiming numerous lives.