Etihad Airways has issued a cautionary directive to its pilots, advising them to exercise extra vigilance when handling fuel control switches aboard Boeing 787 aircraft, The Hindu reported on Monday. The advisory follows the preliminary findings of the June 13 Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which revealed that both fuel switches had shifted from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ shortly after take-off, leading to a fatal accident.
Etihad released an internal bulletin on July 12, the same day the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published its initial crash report. The airline asked pilots to remain alert while operating fuel switches or any nearby controls in the cockpit.
“Exercise caution when operating the fuel control switches or any other switches/control in their vicinity,” the bulletin reportedly stated.
Boeing & FAA Respond to Concerns
The advisory from Etihad comes after a joint notification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, which addressed concerns regarding the design of the fuel control switches on Boeing aircraft, including the 787 model.
“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,”
stated a notification issued to global civil aviation authorities, as seen by Reuters.
Despite the FAA ruling out an immediate airworthiness concern, Etihad has initiated an internal investigation into the operational mechanics of the fuel control switches.
About the Air India Crash
The Air India crash on June 13 involved a Boeing 787 that went down shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 passengers and 19 crew members. According to the AAIB’s preliminary report, both engines lost power seconds after take-off, with data indicating the fuel switches had been set to ‘CUTOFF’, a position that shuts off fuel supply to the engines.
The findings have prompted increased scrutiny over cockpit ergonomics and the potential for accidental switch engagement, particularly during high-stress moments like take-off.