Aviation Watchdog Orders Urgent Fuel Switch Checks on Boeing Jets After Air India Crash

Why Did You Cut Off the Fuel?Boeing Jets Inspected Worldwide After Deadly Air India Crash

In a move that surprised the aviation industry, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed an immediate grounding of all Boeing 787 and 737 aircraft and inspections of all fuel switch lock systems, weeks after a fatal Air India crash that killed 260 people. 

The tragedy has reopened questions about Boeing's safety processes, not least because it was found that Air India ignored a 2018 FAA advisory suggesting checks, but not compelling them to conduct inspections. Currently, as airlines around the world are making frantic efforts to inspect their fleets, we must ask: was this situation avoidable?

The DGCA’s Directive: A Race Against Time

India’s aviation regulator has given airlines until July 21 to inspect fuel switch locks on Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 737s. This action affects more than 150 aircraft across carriers, including Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air. IndiGo’s leased Boeing jets will be excluded.

The urgency comes after the crash in Ahmedabad on June 12th, where the preliminary report revealed something alarming: the fuel switches flipped from run to cutoff, starving the engines. While Boeing and the FAA say the switches are safe, regulators don’t take chances. South Korea’s transport ministry ordered domestic airlines to conduct similar checks.

Discover why India’s DGCA has mandated urgent Boeing fuel‑switch checks following the Air India crash, and how airlines are responding worldwide. ( source: NDTV) 

A Global Ripple Effect: Airlines React

From Lufthansa to Singapore Airlines, some airlines are taking precautionary tests even after Boeing's assurances. Here is what is known so far:

  • Air India: Checked almost all of its 737s and half of its 787s, and nothing has been discovered so far.
  • Singapore Airlines: It confirmed that it has completed all the fuel switches on its 787 fleet.
  • Korean Air: It went ahead to conduct its inspection before any such directive from the government.

But questions remain. The Federal Aviation Administration's 2018 advisory referenced a potential deactivation of the fuel switch locks, a risk Boeing has reduced as non-critical. Air India's admission that it had ignored the advisory in its entirety, asserting that it was not mandatory, has outraged the public.

The Human Element: Pilot Error or Mechanical Failure?

The crash investigation presents two conflicting theories:

  • Pilot Error/Sabotage: Cockpit recording suggests confusion; however, the Indian Commercial Pilots’ Association railed against reckless insinuations of suicide.
  • Flawed Locks: Experts pointed out the switches need a deliberate action to disengage, but the FAA's 2018 inspection found "accidental movement" was a documented issue on all except for 737s.

The throttle module, which compartmentalizes the fuel switches on the plane that crashed, was noted as having been changed in 2019 & 2023, followed up by maintenance oversight.

What’s Next for Boeing?

Boeing's reputation is still recovering from the 737 MAX crisis as it faces renewed scrutiny. Even while Kelly Ortberg (CEO) is trying to get the MAX 7 and MAX 10 certified by the end of the year 5, the Air India tragedy illuminates the stark reality: transparency.

As airlines await their next instructions, one thing is certain: advisory means nothing in aviation; it is optional.