2018 FAA Report warned about fuel cut off switch locking feature.

Posted by Giggling_Goblin_@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 15 comments

I find it hard to trust Boeing. It’s easy to blame dead AI pilots with 9000 hrs of flying experience that they mistakenly turned off those switches.

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Dude. The switches are impossible to "turn off" by accident. Even if you dont have the locking mechanisms working, there's nothing to confuse them with a part of the post-take off checklist. This was suicide. You cant protect against that because someone with basic knowledge of the aircraft will always be able to do something like this at a critical stage in flight.

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Jenny_Tulwartz@reddit

Here's the problem. No one cares what you think about Boeing. No one cares what you think about the Air India crash. No one cares what you think about fuel control switch design or operation.

There's a common theme here: no one cares what you think. You don't know what you're talking about.

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FlyingNewton@reddit

As an Indian, corrupt country irrelevant, filled with narcissists ✅

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Maleficent-Body9617@reddit

Do you find it also hard to maybe notice that a 737 is a different plane, or why are you posting this?

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Clean__Cucumber@reddit

oh look, this post again

no matter how many times its posted, it doesnt make it become more true

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trollied@reddit

Please stop posting this crap. You have no idea what you are talking about.

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Giggling_Goblin_@reddit (OP)

I don’t, I agree. I am trying to understand what people think about this. Are you saying that the FAA did not release such bulletin? I did read it and it said that the fuel switch locks can have issues. And the switches are same in all major models.

Here’s a news article https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/air-india-crash-2018-fuel-switch-warning/#:~:text=Air%20India%20crash:%20Fuel%20switch,Photo:%20Brussels%20Airport

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Starrion@reddit

There is already documentation that the console had been replaced after this timeframe AND the problem is very noticeable that the switches were installed incorrectly as they basically work backward. This was found in 2018 on 737s. I get that you want to blame Boeing instead of the pilots, but this isn’t rational given that both switches were activated within a second of each other on a perfectly normal takeoff.

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ZZ9ZA@reddit

The switches are not the same. FAA has already said 787 is not affected.

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sportsonly88@reddit

Boeing isn’t blaming anyone…regardless, this this bulletin is 7 years old, not mandatory. Bulletins like this are normal and affect both of the manufacturers. It’s Like a recall notice for cars to get checked or fixed, there’s nothing nefarious.

The switch board on the affected airplane was replaced in 2023, the first time in 2019, in accordance with the maintenance program. Any potential defects or issues that were advised in 2018 will have been addressed in design fixes and changes since then.

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Giggling_Goblin_@reddit (OP)

Specifically, On December 17, 2018, the FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB NM‑18‑33) relating to the same model of fuel switches.

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