Air India crash might have been the fuel switch

[TroglocratsRdumb]

MSN

Story by Alexandria Nohalty

The investigation into June's deadly Air India crash reportedly centers on whether the fuel switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner functioned properly. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will release a preliminary report on Flight 171's crash on Friday, July 11.

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported that the preliminary findings suggest that the engine's fuel supply switches were turned off. However, it remains unclear whether this was intentional or accidental.

"If you move those switches from run to cutoff, those engines will stop running in literally seconds," John Cox, the chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, told Bloomberg. He added that investigators cannot rule out the possibility of an unintentional switch movement.

Bjorn Fehrm, an aerospace analyst and ex-fighter pilot, said the plane's takeoff video looked normal until the landing gear didn't retract.

Of the 242 people on board, only one passenger survived.

Comment:
That makes some sense.
But shouldn't there be an interlock or alarm for the fuel switch while in flight?
Or maybe the switch malfunctioned.

 

[Dekster]

MSN

Story by Alexandria Nohalty

The investigation into June's deadly Air India crash reportedly centers on whether the fuel switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner functioned properly. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will release a preliminary report on Flight 171's crash on Friday, July 11.

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported that the preliminary findings suggest that the engine's fuel supply switches were turned off. However, it remains unclear whether this was intentional or accidental.

"If you move those switches from run to cutoff, those engines will stop running in literally seconds," John Cox, the chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, told Bloomberg. He added that investigators cannot rule out the possibility of an unintentional switch movement.

Bjorn Fehrm, an aerospace analyst and ex-fighter pilot, said the plane's takeoff video looked normal until the landing gear didn't retract.

Of the 242 people on board, only one passenger survived.

Comment:
That makes some sense.
But shouldn't there be an interlock or alarm for the fuel switch while in flight?
Or maybe the switch malfunctioned.

IDK. A passenger on that same plane on the flight before the crash said that nothing in the cabin was working during their flight--lights, AC were malfunctioning. Sounded like the thing shouldn't have been flying to begin with.

 

[leftwinger]

Those swicthes don't (shouldn't ever) fail? They must have safety on life or death equipment! Manual switches? Top quality good for 10 million actuations? Muslim suicide pilots or maintenance found another weak link.

Who was pilots? Who last serviced it? DEI much? In India?

Fuel goes bad on takeoff? Huh? It's important.

 

[toobfreak]

If you move those switches from run to cutoff, those engines will stop running in literally seconds,

These switches should be protected that it would be impossible to accidentally bump one off.

But shouldn't there be an interlock or alarm for the fuel switch while in flight?
Or maybe the switch malfunctioned.

I give a switch malfunction nearly zero chance. But yes, in this age of intelligent FBW aircraft, there should be an alarm and logic lockout on turning off your fuel during flight, that at the very least, the pilot is warned or questioned before turning it off.

 

[Oswald Was Innocent]

If true, they were turned off on purpose. Those switches have to be manipulated specifically, multiple movements. They aren’t like light/toggle switches. Sounds like Sudden "Dot Head" Jihad Syndrome to me.

https://www.npr.org/2025/07/11/nx-s1-5465063/air-india-boeing-787-crash-report

 

[toobfreak]

If true, they were turned off on purpose. Those switches have to be manipulated specifically, multiple movements. They aren’t like light/toggle switches. Sounds like Sudden "Dot Head" Jihad Syndrome to me.

duplicate thread

 

[Oswald Was Innocent]

duplicate thread

Really?

 

[Moonglow]

MSN

Story by Alexandria Nohalty

The investigation into June's deadly Air India crash reportedly centers on whether the fuel switches on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner functioned properly. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) will release a preliminary report on Flight 171's crash on Friday, July 11.

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported that the preliminary findings suggest that the engine's fuel supply switches were turned off. However, it remains unclear whether this was intentional or accidental.

"If you move those switches from run to cutoff, those engines will stop running in literally seconds," John Cox, the chief executive of Safety Operating Systems, told Bloomberg. He added that investigators cannot rule out the possibility of an unintentional switch movement.

Bjorn Fehrm, an aerospace analyst and ex-fighter pilot, said the plane's takeoff video looked normal until the landing gear didn't retract.

Of the 242 people on board, only one passenger survived.

Comment:
That makes some sense.
But shouldn't there be an interlock or alarm for the fuel switch while in flight?
Or maybe the switch malfunctioned.

Duh-oh.

 

[toobfreak]

Really?

Three times over at least.

 

[ReinyDays]

Pilot error ... it happens ...

There's a checklist the pilots would have been following once they were gaining altitude ... the proper sequence to throw switches and raise landing gear type stuff ... sometimes the pilot brain-farts and cuts fuel thinking he did something else ... this isn't the first time, it won't be the last ...

The fuel pump switches can't be turned off without deliberate actions by one of the pilots ...

 

[toobfreak]

Pilot error ... it happens ... There's a checklist the pilots would have been following once they were gaining altitude ... the proper sequence to throw switches and raise landing gear type stuff ... sometimes the pilot brain-farts and cuts fuel thinking he did something else ... this isn't the first time, it won't be the last ...

I know there have been a number of airline accidents over the years because of flawed checklist methods. They used to have a mere card you read off of and if you got interrupted or distracted and lost your place, oh well. They've improved that over the years. Frankly, there has been a great deal of safety improvements of every type, hardware and procedural since the 1970s, and I would not want to have been a passenger back then compared to today.

 

[ReinyDays]

I know there have been a number of airline accidents over the years because of flawed checklist methods. They used to have a mere card you read off of and if you got interrupted or distracted and lost your place, oh well. They've improved that over the years. Frankly, there has been a great deal of safety improvements of every type, hardware and procedural since the 1970s, and I would not want to have been a passenger back then compared to today.

We still have greater risk of dying in traffic on the way to the airport ... either way ... the weak link will always be the human ...

 

[leftwinger]

Why not turn the fuel back on and restart? Just asking? If a car quits, into neutral and restart.

Don't say too late. No time. If its lifev or death switch? For 500? Uh, whars' da' safeguards Ramesh? That's like taking off without fuel? Can't happen. Not allowed. Always hated flying.

 

[leftwinger]

So the switches were ON for takeoff then a "mistake" they shut them off? Both sides? All engines? Black box would capture this event. When? Why? Never heard anything so stupid other than Biden faking a bike ride, day at beach, napping on CPAP, never working.

 

[ReinyDays]

Why not turn the fuel back on and restart? Just asking? If a car quits, into neutral and restart.

They may not have realized the fuel switches were the problem ... they're in the middle of a checklist when the engines quit ... now there's a new checklist for that ...

Any pilot is fighting panic at this point ... human nature ...

The difference with this 3 minute video is the fuel selector switch doesn't have a "both off" position ... the 787 has two separate switches, one for each fuel pump ...

 

[leftwinger]

Cockpit Recording Suggests Captain of Air India Flight 171 CUT THE FUEL TO THE ENGINES of Boeing 787 Just Before the Crash That Killed 260 Passengers and Crew | The Gateway Pundit | by Paul Serran

The investigation deadly crash of Air India flight 171 that took place 5 weeks ago keeps revealing disturbing facts regarding the circumstances of the accident.

www.thegatewaypundit.com

Cockpit Recording Suggests Captain of Air India Flight 171 CUT THE FUEL TO THE ENGINES of Boeing 787 Just Before the Crash That Killed 260 Passengers and Crew

 

[toobfreak]

Cockpit Recording Suggests Captain of Air India Flight 171 CUT THE FUEL TO THE ENGINES of Boeing 787 Just Before the Crash That Killed 260 Passengers and Crew

Well, that would certainly make sense--- cut the fuel and hope that it reduces or eliminates the chance of fire upon crashing.

 

[leftwinger]

Well, that would certainly make sense--- cut the fuel and hope that it reduces or eliminates the chance of fire upon crashing.

I think in the story the pilot said he did not cut the fuel to co-pilot.

 

[toobfreak]

I think in the story the pilot said he did not cut the fuel to co-pilot.

Well, you don't just accidentally switch off the fuel. I think in order to flip those switches, you have to pull the switch outward before it will even toggle.