Explainer: What are the fuel switches at the centre of the Air India crash probe?
Boeing 787
jet's engines, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Below are a few facts about engine fuel switches, their functions in the aircraft and their movements on the Air India flight.
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WHAT ARE FUEL SWITCHES?
They are switches that regulate fuel flow into a plane's engines. They are used by pilots to start or shut down engines on the ground or to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight.
Aviation experts say a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. But if moved, the effect would be immediate, cutting off engine power.
There are independent power systems and wiring for the fuel cutoff switches and the fuel valves controlled by those switches, according to U.S. aviation safety expert John Cox.
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WHERE ARE THE FUEL SWITCHES LOCATED?
The two
fuel control switches
on a 787, in Air India's case equipped with two GE engines, are located below the thrust levers.
The switches are spring-loaded to remain in position. To change one from run to cutoff, a pilot has to first pull the switch up and then move it from run to cutoff or vice versa.
There are two modes: 'CUTOFF' and 'RUN'.
WHAT HAPPENED ON THE FATAL AIR INDIA FLIGHT?
According to the flight recorder, a few seconds after takeoff, switches for both engines transitioned to 'CUTOFF' from 'RUN' one after another with a time gap of one second. As a result, the engines began to lose power.
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Air India crash probe focuses on actions of plane's captain, Wall Street Journal reports
One pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said. The report did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer. But the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the first officer asked the captain why he moved the fuel switches to 'CUTOFF' seconds after lifting off the runway, citing people familiar with U.S. officials' early assessment of evidence uncovered in the investigation.
Seconds later, the switches flipped back to 'RUN', according to the preliminary report. Both fuel control switches were found in the 'RUN' position at the crash site, it said.
When fuel control switches are moved from 'CUTOFF' to 'RUN' while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's control system automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report said.
"No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight," especially as the plane is just starting to climb, U.S. aviation safety expert John Nance said.
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
2 Boeing 787 Models Flagged Over Fittings: Why RAT, Which Prevents Air Crash, Can't Have Glitches
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According to a report by Aviation A2Z, the substandard titanium is believed to have been sourced from China and was supplied by Spirit AeroSystems, a key supplier to both Boeing and Airbus. The affected aircraft were assembled at Boeing's facility in North Charleston, South Carolina. The FAA further warned that using incorrect alloy material could lead to a failure of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) during deployment. 'We issued guidance to our B787-9 and B787-10 customers in February 2025 and fully support the FAA's proposal to make that guidance mandatory," TOI attributed this statement to Boeing. How many Boeing 787-9 aircraft does Air India operate? According to a report by TOI, Air India currently operates Boeing 787-9 aircraft that were previously part of Vistara's fleet before the merger. Prior to the merger, Air India primarily operated the 787-8 variant of the Dreamliner, which may not fall under the scope of the FAA's latest directive and therefore might not require the same checks. Is it the same aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad? No. The aircraft that crashed in Ahmedabad was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The RAT on this aircraft was deployed moments after it took off from Ahmedabad Airport on June 12, killing all but one passenger. What is RAT? A Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a small, retractable, wind-powered turbine used as an emergency backup power source on modern aircraft, including the Boeing 787-9 and 787-10. It plays a critical safety role in ensuring that essential systems continue to function in the event of a complete or partial power failure. It is a propeller-driven turbine that deploys into the airstream outside the aircraft. As air flows through the turbine during flight, it spins and generates hydraulic or electrical power to operate vital systems. It is typically stored in a compartment (often in the fuselage or wing root), and automatically or manually deployed during emergencies. It uses the aircraft's forward motion (airflow) to generate energy. Provides emergency electrical power, and in some aircraft, hydraulic power. Why is the RAT key to aircraft functioning? The RAT is not used during normal operation. It becomes critical in emergency scenarios such as: 1. Loss of engine power 2. Loss of electrical generators 3. Loss of hydraulic systems (in some aircraft) In such cases, the RAT provides just enough power to keep essential systems running, such as flight control systems (fly-by-wire), instrumentation and displays, communication and navigation equipment and some hydraulic actuators (depending on design). Without the RAT, pilots could lose control of the aircraft due to the failure of fly-by-wire or hydraulic systems. What happens if the RAT malfunctions? A malfunctioning RAT can lead to severe consequences, especially if: Potential impacts of a RAT failure: Loss of control: On fly-by-wire aircraft like the Boeing 787, flight controls need power to function. Loss of critical avionics: Navigation, displays, radios may stop working. Emergency descent challenges: Pilots may not be able to manage cabin pressurization or communications effectively. Hydraulic failure (if applicable): Some flight surfaces may become inoperative. RAT in Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 The Boeing 787 family uses a highly electric architecture with electrically actuated flight controls (no traditional hydraulic flight controls). In the event of power loss, the RAT becomes the last-resort power source. Have there been any RAT related incidents? Air Transat Flight 236: Airbus A330 ran out of fuel over the Atlantic. RAT provided power for glide and safe landing. US Airways Flight 1549: After bird strike and dual engine loss, RAT powered vital controls for a successful ditching in the Hudson River. With Agency Inputs About the Author News Desk The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk More Get Latest Updates on Movies, Breaking News On India, World, Live Cricket Scores, And Stock Market Updates. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 05, 2025, 13:27 IST News explainers 2 Boeing 787 Models Flagged Over Fittings: Why RAT, Which Prevents Air Crash, Can't Have Glitches Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. 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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Boeing 787 RAT fittings under scrutiny over titanium alloy concerns
Advt Advt FAA flags faulty alloy in RAT in 2 Boeing models Operators of Boeing 787-9 and B787-10 models will have to check their ram air turbine ( RAT ) forward fittings after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed this to "address the unsafe condition" following reports indicating the same "were possibly manufactured with an incorrect titanium alloy material".The erstwhile Vistara has seven Boeing 787-9 aircraft in its fleet that are now flying for Air condition, "if not addressed, could result in loss of backup hydraulic and/or electrical power as well as the RAT module departing (snapping off) from the airplane," the FAA is a device on an aircraft used to provide emergency backup power by deploying into the airstream when needed, like in case of dual engine RAT deployed on AI 171, which crashed in Ahmedabad seconds after take-off on June pre-merger Air India uses B787-8 variants of Dreamliners (one of which crashed in Ahmedabad) and may not be required to undergo this check."We issued guidance to our B787-9 and B787-10 customers in Feb 2025 and fully support the FAA's proposal to make that guidance mandatory.""The in-service fleet can continue normal operations," Boeing said in a statement to TOI on FAA said: "The titanium material that was possibly used is a Grade 1 or 2 commercially pure unalloyed titanium, which has significantly reduced strength, fatigue and damage tolerance properties...""A RAT forward fitting that was possibly manufactured with the incorrect titanium alloy material could fail when the RAT is deployed.""The FAA is issuing this 'notice of proposed rule-making' after determining that the unsafe condition described previously is likely to exist or develop on other products of the same type design," it check requires "a high frequency eddy current or handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer inspection of the RAT forward fitting to determine the titanium alloy material".Operators of Boeing 787-9 and B787-10 models will have to check their ram air turbine (RAT) forward fittings after US aviation regulator FAA said these were "possibly manufactured with an incorrect titanium alloy material" and "could fail when RAT is deployed". RAT is used to provide emergency backup power. RAT was deployed on AI 171 (Boeing 787-8), which crashed on June 12.
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5 hours ago
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FAA raises alarm over RAT fittings on Boeing 787-9 and 787-10 aircraft: Report
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