‘No abnormality found in fuel control switch’: Government on Air India Boeing 787 crash
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said no abnormality has been found in the fuel control switch locking mechanism of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner that crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12 last year killing 260 people on board and on the ground.Civil aviation state minister Murlidhar Mohol informed the Rajya Sabha that the fuel control switch was examined at the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) level in Seattle as part of continued airworthiness checks ordered by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Reuters repeorted. A detailed examination of the fuel control switch, including the structural integrity of its locking detents, found ‘no abnormality’, Mohol said in his response to questions raised by Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham. However, the examination of the complete thrust control module is still underway at the OEM facility in Seattle.”Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as part of continued airworthiness, directed Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) level testing of Fuel Control Switch Locking Mechanism in Seattle. Detailed examination of Fuel Control Switch including structural integrity of Fuel Control Switch detents was carried out and no abnormality was observed. However, further inspection of complete ‘Thrust Control Module’ at OEM facility is underway,” Mohol write in his written reply.
What the government said about the AI-171 probe
The government also rejected suggestions that the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has delayed its final report into the crash.In her Rajya Sabha question, Mather had asked the government to state the reasons for the delay in releasing the final report more than a year after the crash, whether pilot conduct was among the factors being examined and whether the government would announce a public release date for the complete report.Responding to these questions, Mohol said there was ‘no delay’ in the investigation and explained that major accident investigations cannot be completed according to a fixed timeline.”There is no delay in the investigation. The timeline for a major accident investigation cannot be predicted, as it depends on several factors and is an evolving process involving multiple variables,” he said in the written reply.The minister said the investigation remains under way and that all possible causes and contributing factors are being examined.”All probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated,” Mohol said.The government said the final investigation report, containing all the findings of the probe, would be made public and published on the AAIB website once the investigation is complete.Air India flight AI-171, which was headed to London, crashed shortly after taking off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.The Boeing 787 struck a medical college hostel complex soon after take-off. The crash killed 241 people on board and 19 people on the ground, while one passenger survived.The disaster became one of India’s deadliest aviation accidents in recent years and triggered a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Fuel switches moved to ‘CUTOFF’ after take-off
A preliminary investigation report released last year found that the fuel control switches of both engines moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ shortly after take-off, cutting the fuel supply and causing both engines to shut down.A cockpit recording also captured a brief exchange between the pilots in which one pilot appeared to ask the other why the switches had been moved, while the other denied doing so. The finding raised questions about whether the switches had been moved by a pilot or whether a technical issue could have been responsible.The government has not provided a specific date for publication of the final AAIB report.Mohol said the investigation was still progressing and that the report would be released only after the inquiry is completed. The government has maintained that the investigation will cover all probable causes and contributing factors.
