The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has stated there is no evidence of a mechanical issue with the fuel control system on the Boeing 787 involved in last month’s fatal Air India crash.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the components were removed and tested by FAA personnel, with no signs of technical failure. “We can say with a high level of confidence that it doesn’t appear to be a mechanical issue with the Boeing fuel control unit,” he told reporters at the Oshkosh air show in Wisconsin.
The investigation into the crash — which killed 241 of the 242 people on board and 19 on the ground — is focused on the jet’s fuel control switches, which regulate engine fuel flow and are critical for start-up, shutdown, and emergency procedures.
Both the FAA and Air India have conducted inspections of the fuel switch locking mechanisms, with no irregularities found. A preliminary report from India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau noted that the switches nearly simultaneously moved from “run” to “cutoff” shortly after takeoff, leading to engine power loss.
According to a Reuters source, cockpit recordings suggest the captain may have manually cut fuel to the engines.
So far, Boeing and Air India have not commented publicly. However, earlier this month, both the FAA and Boeing issued internal statements affirming the safety of the fuel switch lock systems on Boeing aircraft.
Air Transport