To be sure, the FAA at the time recommended, but did not mandate, an inspection of the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches
India’s civil aviation regulator on Monday ordered airlines to inspect the locking mechanism of fuel switches on all Boeing 787 and 737 jets by July 21, two days after a preliminary report into the Air India flight 171 crash identified fuel being cut off to both engines shortly after takeoff as the cause of the disaster that killed 260 people.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report, released in the early hours of Saturday, said the fuel control switches were found in the “cutoff” position, triggering a global debate over whether pilot action or mechanical failure caused India’s worst single-aircraft aviation disaster.
“All air operators of the affected aircraft are hereby advised to complete the inspection required under SAIB Number NM-18-33, dated 17th December 2018, no later than 21st July 2025,” said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s (DGCA) advisory.
“Strict adherence to the timeline is essential to ensure continued airworthiness and safety of operations,” added the body.
Indian airlines operate around 150 Boeing 737 and 787 craft. Air India has 33 787s.
Monday’s order comes amid swelling global scrutiny of the Honeywell 4TL837-3D model fuel switches that the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is equipped with, after AAIB’s report cited a 2018 US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) bulletin warning of potential problems with fuel control switch locking mechanisms on Boeing aircraft, including the 787.
To be sure, the FAA at the time recommended, but did not mandate, an inspection of the locking feature of the fuel cutoff switches to ensure they could not be moved accidentally.
On Monday, Etihad, the second-largest airline in the United Arab Emirates, urged all its pilots to check the fuel switches on 787 aircraft in its fleet.
Fuel switches are crucial components in the heart of an aircraft’s cockpit that control the flow of fuel to the engines. The twin-engine Boeing 787, which crashed in Ahmedabad, has one switch for each engine.
The switches sit underneath the throttle handles in the cockpit’s centre console, positioned where pilots’ hands naturally rest during critical flight phases. Physical brackets guard each switch on both sides, making it impossible to accidentally brush against them. A spring-loaded mechanism requires pilots to pull each switch upward against resistance before it can be moved.
In its safety circular — a “standard work package” for engineers, a copy of which was posted on X, Etihad instructed its team to fully inspect the locking feature for “proper engagement.”
“Attempt to gently move (without applying excessive force) the Left (L) fuel control switch on the P10 Control Stand from ‘CUTOFF’ to ‘RUN’ without lifting the switch,” the circular said. “If the switch cannot be moved without lifting, the locking feature is functional. No further action is required. Proceed to the next step.”
“Etihad always ensures its maintenance is fully compliant,” an Etihad spokesperson said, without mentioning the circular.
Aviation experts were split on the reasoning for the advisory. Some attributed it to caution, and others said the airline may have underlying concerns over the safety of the locking system.
Captain Sharath Panicker, a former Dreamliner pilot with Air India, said, “DGCA has issued the order mandating the fuel control switch checks as a matter of abundant caution.”
Mark Martin, CEO of Martin Consulting, said, “DGCA has full discretion at any time to issue a mandatory modification if it senses that safety or airworthiness is being compromised. So clearly somebody has said that this likely is the issue and it is because of this that some things have gone wrong or it’s a likely cause of that accident and therefore an airworthiness information bulletin has been elevated to a mandatory modification.”
Officials aware of the matter said checks on the fuel locks on more than half of Air India’s 787s and most 737s were already complete.
