The US Federal Aviation Service (FAA) and Boeing have assured in recent days that safety mechanisms on their aircraft’s fuel switches are safe, according to an official document revealed by Reuters.
The FAA announcement was issued on July 11, which cost the lives of 260 people and raised questions about the safety of fuel interruption switches.
It is recalled that according to the preliminary report by the Air Accident Investigation Service (AAIB), the fuel to the aircraft’s engines appears to have been interrupted a few minutes after take -off, leading the aircraft to fall, while this development has caused a great deal of confusion in the cockpit.
According to the relevant FAA document, although the design of the switches is similar in many Boeing models, “does not constitute unsafe condition that requires airworthiness instruction”, including model 787.
Boeing recently sent a similar message to air carriers via multi-serator-message, referring to the FAA alert and clarifying that no action is recommended.
The preliminary finding of the India Airport Investigations Office (AAIB) referred to the 2018 FAA recommendation, according to which- without imposing- the inspection of the fuel interruption interruption switches to ensure that they cannot be activated inadvertently. Air India said it had not had the proposed inspections, as they were not mandatory.
The finding states that the aircraft and its engines complied with all applicable airworthiness instructions and technical notice cards. At the same time, Alpa India – organizing pilots belonging to the International Federation of Pilot Associations – has rejected any possibility of operators and requested transparent and objective research, stressing their need to participate as observers.
According to ALPA, the finding indicates possible equipment dysfunction on fuel switches. In the final minutes of the flight, a conversation between the two pilots was recorded, with one asking the other why he cut the fuel. The second replied that he didn’t. The switches seem to have returned almost simultaneously to the “cutoff” position shortly after the take -off, without the finding explaining the mechanism with which it happened.
Two US air safety experts supported Alpa India’s request to participate as an observer in the research, and noted that the finding did not leave implications for the responsibility of the pilots. John Cox, a former Alpa spokesman and an active pilot, said the AAIB report was objective and balanced.
