Following a preliminary report investigating last month's fatal Boeing 787-8 crash that killed 260 people, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have issued private notifications affirming the safety of fuel switch locks on Boeing aircraft. The preliminary report raised questions regarding the engine fuel cutoff switches.
The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification, dated July 11, stated that "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". Boeing, in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to airlines, referenced the FAA's notification and stated that they are not recommending any action.
The preliminary investigation report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) referenced a 2018 FAA advisory that 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. Air India reportedly stated that they had not carried out the suggested inspections because the 2018 FAA advisory was not mandatory. The report also noted that "all applicable airworthiness directives and alert service bulletins were complied on the aircraft as well as engines".
The "lift and twist" lock safety mechanism is incorporated into Boeing's fuel controls to prevent pilots from mistakenly switching off the engine fuel supply. According to a source, the fuel control switch cannot be turned off by mistake if the lock system is in place. It also seemed the pilots were surprised when they realized the fuel switch had turned off and switched it on again to prevent the crash. Unfortunately, they couldn't do much in 30 seconds.
In December 2018, the FAA drafted a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) addressing an issue with fuel switches on some Boeing 737 aircraft where the locking feature was disengaged. These locking features are critical for preventing inadvertent or mistaken movement of the switches. The FAA advisory in 2018 was not considered a serious or majorly harmful issue, so no mandatory directive was released to address it. The same switch design was present in the Air India's VT-ANB, the flight that crashed on June 12, 2025. Although the fuel control switches were moved from cut-off to run, the engines could not induce core speed acceleration and recovery.
According to a retired airline pilot and aircraft safety advisor, if there was a serious issue with the fuel switch's locking mechanism, the FAA would have insisted on a mandatory fix. He suggests that the movement of the fuel switch was likely a deliberate human intervention, given that both fuel switches did not fail simultaneously but were cut off one second apart.
The 2018 SAIB warned that if the locking mechanism of the fuel switch is disengaged, it "could result in inadvertent operation that could result in unintended switch movement between the fuel supply and fuel cut-off positions". The bulletin noted that to move the fuel switch when the lock is engaged, "it is necessary for the pilot to lift the switch up while transitioning the switch position". If the locking feature is disengaged, the fuel switch could be moved from Run to Cutoff without lifting the switch, running the risk of "potential of inadvertent operation" of the switch, which could lead to an in-flight engine shutdown.
