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Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
(Refiles to drop repeated words in paragraph 1) By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "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." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, 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. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. (Reporting By David Shepardson in Washington, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jane Merriman) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
(Refiles to drop repeated words in paragraph 1) By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "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." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, 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. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. (Reporting By David Shepardson in Washington, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jane Merriman)
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
By David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, with the FAA saying they are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said. The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches. The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "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." When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification. Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said. When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA. The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which recommended, but did not mandate, operators of several Boeing models, including the 787, to inspect the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure it could not be moved accidentally. The report said Air India had said it had not carried out the FAA's suggested inspections as the FAA 2018 advisory was not a mandate. The report noted "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines." ALPA India, which represents Indian pilots at the Montreal-based International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, in a statement on Saturday rejected the presumption of pilot error and called for on a "fair, fact-based inquiry." "The pilots body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers," ALPA India President Sam Thomas told Reuters on Sunday. ALPA India, in a letter posted on X, said the preliminary investigation report referred to the 2018 FAA advisory "concerning the fuel control switch gates, which indicates a potential equipment malfunction." In the flight's final moments, 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. It said fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The report did not say how the switches could have flipped during the flight. Two U.S. safety experts said on Saturday they backed ALPA India's request to be observers in the probe, but said the investigation report did not suggest a bias toward pilot error. John Cox, a pilot and former ALPA representative, said AAIB's report seemed objective and fair. (Reporting By David Shepardson in Washington, Abhijith Ganapavaram in New Delhi and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Aditya Kalra and Jane Merriman)
Japan Today
11-07-2025
- General
- Japan Today
Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Tail of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane that crashed is seen stuck on a building after the incident in Ahmedabad, India, June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo By Allison Lampert and Aditya Kalra A preliminary report depicted confusion in the cockpit shortly before an Air India jetliner crashed, killing 260 people last month, after the plane's engine fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped, starving the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner bound for London from the Indian city of Ahmedabad immediately began to lose thrust and sink down, according to the report on the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade released on Saturday by Indian accident investigators. The report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) about the June 12 crash shortly after takeoff raises fresh questions over the position of the critical engines fuel cutoff switches, while suggesting that Boeing and engine maker GE had no apparent responsibility for the accident. Almost immediately after the plane lifted off the ground, CCTV footage shows a backup energy source called a ram air turbine had deployed, indicating a loss of power from the engines. In the flight's final moments, 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. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted "Mayday, Mayday, Mayday" just before the crash. The commanding pilot of the Air India plane was Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, who had a total flying experience of 15,638 hours and, according to the Indian government, was also an Air India instructor. His co-pilot was Clive Kunder, 32, who had 3,403 hours of total experience. The fuel switches had almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff just after takeoff. The preliminary report did not say how the switches could have flipped to the cutoff position during the flight. U.S. aviation safety experts have said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches. Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines. It is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. At the crash site in Ahmedabad, both fuel switches were found in the run position and the report said there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. U.S. aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said a key question is why the were switches moved in a way that is inconsistent with normal operations. "Did they move on their own or did they move because of the pilots?" he asked. "And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?" Air India acknowledged the report in a statement on the social media site X. The carrier said it was cooperating with Indian authorities but declined further comment. India's AAIB, which released the report around 1:30 a.m. IST on Saturday (2000 GMT on Friday), said at this stage of the investigation, there were no recommendations to Boeing 787-8 or GE GEnx-1B engine operators or manufacturers. Boeing and GE Aerospace did not respond immediately to requests for comment. CRASH PROBE The AAIB, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the crash. Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report due 30 days after the accident according to international rules, and a final report expected within a year. The plane's black boxes, combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Black boxes provide crucial data such as altitude, airspeed and final pilot conversations which help in narrowing down possible causes of the crash. Air India has been under intense scrutiny since the crash. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it plans to investigate its budget airline, Air India Express, after Reuters reported the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 in a timely manner and falsified records to show compliance. India's aviation watchdog has also warned Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides and in June warned it about "serious violations" of pilot duty timings. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board declined to comment on the release of the report. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy had previously urged the Indian government to be transparent in the interest of aviation safety. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
RNZ News
11-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Air India crash: Fuel cutoff switches flicked just after takeoff
By Allison Lampert and Aditya Kalra , Reuters An investigation team inspects the wreckage of Air India flight 171 a day after it crashed in a residential area near the airport, in Ahmedabad on 13 June, 2025. Investigators recovered a black box recorder from the crash site. Photo: AFP/ Sam Panthaky A preliminary report into the Air India crash that killed 260 people last month showed three seconds after taking off, the plane's engines fuel cutoff switches almost simultaneously flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines of fuel. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner immediately began to lose thrust and sink down, according to the report released on Saturday by Indian aviation accident investigators. One pilot can be 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. It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer, nor which pilot transmitted "mayday, mayday, mayday" just before the crash. At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the run position and the report said there had been indications of both engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. Both pilots were experienced jet pilots with about 19,000 total flying hours between them, including more than 9000 on the 787. The preliminary report also does not say how the switch could have flipped to the cutoff position on the 12 June London-bound flight from the Indian city of Ahmedabad. US aviation safety expert Anthony Brickhouse said a key question is why were the switches moved in a way that is inconsistent with normal operations. "Did they move on their own or did they move because of the pilots?" he asked. "And if they were moved because of a pilot, why?" US aviation safety expert John Cox said a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines. "You can't bump them and they move," he said. Flipping to cutoff almost immediately cuts the engines. It is most often used to turn engines off once a plane has arrived at its airport gate and in certain emergency situations, such as an engine fire. The report does not indicate there was any emergency requiring an engine cutoff. "At this stage of investigation, there are no recommended actions to Boeing 787-8 and/or GE GEnx-1B engine operators and manufacturers" India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said. Air India, Boeing and GE Aerospace did not respond immediately to requests for comment. A plume of smoke rising after Air India flight 171 crashed near the airport in Ahmedabad. Photo: @ASHLOVETEA via AFP The agency, an office under India's civil aviation ministry, is leading the probe into the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade. The plane's two black boxes, both combined cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders, were recovered in the days following the crash and later downloaded in India. Black boxes provide crucial data such as altitude, airspeed and final pilot conversations which help in narrowing down possible causes of the crash. Most air crashes are caused by multiple factors, with a preliminary report due 30 days after the accident according to international rules, and a final report expected within a year. Air India has been under intense scrutiny since the crash. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it plans to investigate its budget airline, Air India Express, after Reuters reported the carrier did not follow a directive to change engine parts of an Airbus A320 in a timely manner and falsified records to show compliance. India's aviation watchdog has also warned Air India for breaching rules for flying three Airbus planes with overdue checks on escape slides and in June warned it about "serious violations" of pilot duty timings. The US National Transportation Safety Board declined to comment on the release of the report. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy had previously urged the Indian government to be transparent in the interest of aviation safety. - Reuters
