The Ministry of Civil Aviation released a preliminary report on Saturday probing last month’s deadly Air India crash, shedding light on a little-known issue: the fuel control switch locking system.
Though the cause of the crash has not been officially determined, experts say the role of the switches—and whether they could have accidentally shut off fuel—deserves closer scrutiny.
Fuel Control Switches: What are they?
The fuel control switches are small levers in the cockpit that regulate fuel flow to the engines. In normal operations, these switches remain in the ‘RUN’ position to keep the engines powered.
Moving a switch to ‘CUTOFF’ stops the fuel supply and shuts down the engine.
According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, data showed that shortly after takeoff, both engine switches were briefly moved to ‘CUTOFF’—one after the other with only a one-second gap.
The cockpit voice recorder captured a tense exchange:
“Why did you cut off the fuel?”
“I didn’t do so.”
Seconds later, both switches were flipped back to ‘RUN’, but by then, the engines had already begun losing power.
A history of warnings
This issue is not entirely new.
The report mentions that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB No. NM-18-33) in December 2018, warning operators that some fuel control switches on Boeing 737 aircraft had been installed with their locking feature disengaged.
This locking feature is meant to prevent the switches from being moved out of the ‘RUN’ position unintentionally.
While the bulletin did not cover the 787 specifically, the government report noted that the fuel control switch design and locking mechanism in the London-bound aircraft was the same as the flagged 737’s.
Moreover, according to the report, Air India confirmed to investigators that it never conducted the recommended inspections of the locking system because the FAA bulletin was advisory, and not mandatory.
Experts weigh in
An Aviation specialist interviewed by the BBC expressed concern that the locking feature issue may need further investigation.
“What does this exactly mean? Does it mean that with a single flip, that switch could shut the engine off and cut the fuel supply? When the locking feature is disengaged, what exactly happens? Could the switch just flip itself to off and shut down the engine? If that’s the case, it’s a really serious issue,” Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University, told the BBC.
Other experts were more cautious.
“I haven’t heard of this, which appears to be a low-profile FAA issuance. Nor have I heard any complaints from pilots—who are usually quick to speak up. It’s worth examining since it’s mentioned, but it may just be a distraction,” Peter Goelz, former managing director of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told the news outlet.
Replacements, but no defects
According to maintenance records, the aircraft’s throttle control module—the component that houses the switches—was replaced twice, once in 2019 and again in 2023.
However, neither replacement was linked to any known defect in the fuel control switches.
Since 2023, no faults with the switches had been reported on this 12-year-old aircraft.
Broader investigation continues
Investigators have not concluded that the fuel control switches alone caused the engines to lose power, but the episode has put a spotlight on cockpit ergonomics, maintenance practices, and oversight of non-mandatory safety bulletins.
US aviation expert John Nance told Reuters,“No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight,” stressing how unusual the recorded switch movement was.
Meanwhile, a Canada-based air accidents investigator, speaking anonymously to the BBC, added,“It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely.”
A final report will be issued after a detailed analysis of flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and mechanical systems, and it might contain more information on whether this overlooked locking feature played any role in the tragedy.
Though the cause of the crash has not been officially determined, experts say the role of the switches—and whether they could have accidentally shut off fuel—deserves closer scrutiny.
Fuel Control Switches: What are they?
The fuel control switches are small levers in the cockpit that regulate fuel flow to the engines. In normal operations, these switches remain in the ‘RUN’ position to keep the engines powered.
Moving a switch to ‘CUTOFF’ stops the fuel supply and shuts down the engine.
According to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) report, data showed that shortly after takeoff, both engine switches were briefly moved to ‘CUTOFF’—one after the other with only a one-second gap.
The cockpit voice recorder captured a tense exchange:
“Why did you cut off the fuel?”
“I didn’t do so.”
Seconds later, both switches were flipped back to ‘RUN’, but by then, the engines had already begun losing power.
A history of warnings
This issue is not entirely new.
The report mentions that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB No. NM-18-33) in December 2018, warning operators that some fuel control switches on Boeing 737 aircraft had been installed with their locking feature disengaged.
This locking feature is meant to prevent the switches from being moved out of the ‘RUN’ position unintentionally.
While the bulletin did not cover the 787 specifically, the government report noted that the fuel control switch design and locking mechanism in the London-bound aircraft was the same as the flagged 737’s.
Moreover, according to the report, Air India confirmed to investigators that it never conducted the recommended inspections of the locking system because the FAA bulletin was advisory, and not mandatory.
Experts weigh in
An Aviation specialist interviewed by the BBC expressed concern that the locking feature issue may need further investigation.
“What does this exactly mean? Does it mean that with a single flip, that switch could shut the engine off and cut the fuel supply? When the locking feature is disengaged, what exactly happens? Could the switch just flip itself to off and shut down the engine? If that’s the case, it’s a really serious issue,” Shawn Pruchnicki, a former airline accident investigator and aviation expert at Ohio State University, told the BBC.
Other experts were more cautious.
“I haven’t heard of this, which appears to be a low-profile FAA issuance. Nor have I heard any complaints from pilots—who are usually quick to speak up. It’s worth examining since it’s mentioned, but it may just be a distraction,” Peter Goelz, former managing director of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told the news outlet.
Replacements, but no defects
According to maintenance records, the aircraft’s throttle control module—the component that houses the switches—was replaced twice, once in 2019 and again in 2023.
However, neither replacement was linked to any known defect in the fuel control switches.
Since 2023, no faults with the switches had been reported on this 12-year-old aircraft.
Broader investigation continues
Investigators have not concluded that the fuel control switches alone caused the engines to lose power, but the episode has put a spotlight on cockpit ergonomics, maintenance practices, and oversight of non-mandatory safety bulletins.
US aviation expert John Nance told Reuters,“No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight,” stressing how unusual the recorded switch movement was.
Meanwhile, a Canada-based air accidents investigator, speaking anonymously to the BBC, added,“It would be almost impossible to pull both switches with a single movement of one hand, and this makes accidental deployment unlikely.”
A final report will be issued after a detailed analysis of flight data, cockpit voice recordings, and mechanical systems, and it might contain more information on whether this overlooked locking feature played any role in the tragedy.
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