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Amid Air India probe, US FAA, Boeing notify fuel switch locks are safe, document, sources say
Reuters ^ | July 13, 20251:17 PM CDT | David Shepardson, Abhijith Ganapavaram and Allison Lampert

Posted on 07/13/2025 12:19:21 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Summary

WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI/MONTREAL, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab have privately issued notifications that the fuel switch locks on Boeing planes are safe, a document seen by Reuters showed and four sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The FAA's Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 came after a preliminary report on Friday into last month's Boeing 787-8 crash, which killed 260 people, raised questions over engine fuel cutoff switches.

The FAA's notification to Civil Aviation Authorities, seen by Reuters, said: "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."

When asked for comment, the FAA said it did not have anything to add beyond the notification.

Boeing also referred to FAA's notification in a Multi-Operator-Message sent to the airlines in the past few days, which said the planemaker is not recommending any action, two of the sources with direct knowledge said.

When asked for comment, Boeing referred Reuters' questions to the FAA.

The preliminary investigation report into the crash by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), referred to a 2018 FAA advisory, which 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.

The report said Air India had said...

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 07/13/2025 12:19:21 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Then it was suicide mission. Not sabotage cause the pilot would know 109% he was going to die.


2 posted on 07/13/2025 12:26:04 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP CORRUPT CAREER POL ITIiCIANS. )
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To: Bobbyvotes

Was it the mushrooms?


3 posted on 07/13/2025 12:30:59 PM PDT by Cold Heart (BP S GW)
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To: Bobbyvotes

110%


4 posted on 07/13/2025 12:31:04 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I fly a Boeing model which has the same fuel cutoff switches as the 787. It is impossible to move them accidentally, you have to pull them out about 1/4” against strong spring tension before moving and then release. If they were in the cutoff position it was done intentionally.


5 posted on 07/13/2025 12:34:56 PM PDT by GaryCrow
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To: GaryCrow

Yes, and there is a great deal of media trying to obsfucate this fact.


6 posted on 07/13/2025 12:41:45 PM PDT by Valpal1 (Not even the police are safe from the police!!!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
For those unfamiliar with lever lock switches, imagine a normal toggle switch with an outer shell on it. You have to pull the shell towards you to release the lock, move the toggle switch normally and then release the shell.


7 posted on 07/13/2025 12:41:55 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (I refuse to call the left "progressive" because I do not see slavery to the government as progress.)
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To: KarlInOhio

Thank you.


8 posted on 07/13/2025 12:51:40 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1789. Death Certificate - 2021? )
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To: GaryCrow

If there is say an engine fire, is part of the emergency procedures to shut the fuel off?


9 posted on 07/13/2025 12:52:44 PM PDT by Pocketdoor
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To: GaryCrow

Thanks for the first-hand confirmation.


10 posted on 07/13/2025 12:54:43 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of racism, anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Bobbyvotes

Was the pilot (or co-pilot) a allahu akbar Moslem?


11 posted on 07/13/2025 12:57:17 PM PDT by citizen (A transgender male competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
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To: GaryCrow

I wonder about that design. For such an important switch, why don’t they use the switch with a protective canopy (red top) over it that has to be raised manually before activating the toggle or button?


12 posted on 07/13/2025 12:57:40 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1789. Death Certificate - 2021? )
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To: Pocketdoor

Yes. Apparently it is also part of the emergency restart procedure if the engines shut down on their own because some experts were speculating they were off because the pilots were trying to restart. But then more timing and voice info came out showing the switches were turned off before the engines shut down.


13 posted on 07/13/2025 1:00:59 PM PDT by KarlInOhio (I refuse to call the left "progressive" because I do not see slavery to the government as progress.)
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To: citizen

“Was the pilot (or co-pilot) a allahu akbar Moslem?”

No, he was a devotee of Kali.


14 posted on 07/13/2025 1:03:18 PM PDT by dljordan (The Rewards of Tolerance are Treachery and Betrayal)
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To: Pocketdoor

Pulling the fire handle for the engine that is indicating a fire closes the spar valve and shuts fuel to that engine. Airplane engines are fed from their onside fuel tank. A crossfeed valve allows fuel from one wing tank to supply the opposite side engine thru the fuel manifold. But closing the spar valve with the fire handle shuts fuel to that engine, regardless of crossfeed valve position. If the spar valve is closed, there is no other way for fuel to reach that engine.


15 posted on 07/13/2025 1:03:50 PM PDT by 6AL-4V
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To: Valpal1

Yes,the Indian government...and others...will try to blame Boeing for this. It’s obvious why Indian officials would do so.But as for the others...think market share...stock price manipulation,etc


16 posted on 07/13/2025 1:09:29 PM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
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To: A Navy Vet

The design of the switch, with detents, like a flap handle, is a safe design. The spring loaded feature keeps it in the detent, until pulled upward and moved to a different position. If it was a guarded switch, it wouldn’t have prevented a suicide pilot. The design of the fuel cutoff switches has a long and safe history.


17 posted on 07/13/2025 1:09:34 PM PDT by 6AL-4V
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To: 6AL-4V
Although I was Aviation Navy for years, I was basically a flight deck grunt with no cockpit experience. I'll just take your and others' here assessments of that switch design over a "guarded switch" to be fact.

So what happened?

18 posted on 07/13/2025 1:22:59 PM PDT by A Navy Vet (USA Birth Certificate - 1789. Death Certificate - 2021? )
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To: citizen

Yeah the lust for 72 virgins is overpowering. Hundreds of innocent passengers lives be damned.


19 posted on 07/13/2025 1:29:27 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP CORRUPT CAREER POL ITIiCIANS. )
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To: 6AL-4V

Your common sense is admirable 👍👍


20 posted on 07/13/2025 1:30:52 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (TERM LIMITS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STOP CORRUPT CAREER POL ITIiCIANS. )
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