Another Boeing bites the dust...

[4Q Basket Case]

According to the Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) No. NM-18-33 issued by the FAA, the only non standard fuel cut off switches were discovered on 737's. The 787 switch is similar but it's a different part number. The FAA recommended 787 operators to inspect their fleets as well.


In the FAA's opinion, this was not an unsafe condition.



Inspection procedures for checking proper operation of the switch was quite simple.


According to the preliminary report:



Who knows why Air India didn't take one minute to check these switches. Or maybe they did, found nothing wrong and didn't record the inspection. Even if the locking feature on these switches were not functioning properly, the odds of both switches inadvertently moving to "cutoff" within one second of each other is very very remote.

These fuel switches are not guarded because they are used in normal operation of starting the engines and shutting them down at the gate after completion of the flight. As you can see in the photo below, the two STAB switches to the left of the fuel switches are guarded. These switches remove electrical power to the horizontal stabilizer. One for each redundant system. The only time a pilot would use these switches is when dealing with a stabilizer malfunction and the checklist directs them to cut power in attempt to correct the problem.
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As Isaiah 63:1 said, this investigation will get a lot more interesting.

Somebody — we don’t yet know who — did this intentionally.

Could be the pilot who denied cutting anything, creating cover for himself on the black box voice recorder. Could be the pilot who asked how come both fuel systems were shut down, creating cover for himself. Could be a third person.

I don’t know who did it, but it was purposeful.

 

[Elefantman]

I missed that nuance. Thanks...


I know nothing about Indian regulatory requirements (my industry experience is solely US domestic) but in the US every MX task is logged irrespective of whether a problem was found. If any non-US carrier were not so meticulous I'd be surprised if FAA would certify them for US operations...

I don't know how thorough Air India is when it comes to record keeping. If they chose not to do such a simple inspection because it was a recommendation and not a requirement speaks volumes IMHO.

 

[Elefantman]

Somebody — we don’t yet know who — did this intentionally.

Could be the pilot who denied cutting anything, creating cover for himself on the black box voice recorder. Could be the pilot who asked how come both fuel systems were shut down, creating cover for himself. Could be a third person.

I don’t know who did it, but it was purposeful.

If there was a third person on the flight deck during takeoff, apparently, their presence was not recorded on the manifest. The preliminary report shows a flight crew of two, which for a flight of 3700 nautical miles can be possibly done under US regulations. Most major airlines pilot contracts in the US would likely require a third pilot on a flight this long. Apparently, India requires only two on a flight this long. It would be difficult for an unauthorized person (but invited by the crew) sitting in one of the observer seats to shut down the engines without the pilots noticing. In the 787, it would be a long stretch to reach the fuel cutoff switches. I would imagine if that happened, you would hear on the voice recorder something along the lines of, "what are you doing, don't touch that".

In 2023, a pilot for Alaska Airlines who was in the observer seat on a regional jet flight tried to pull the fire handles in flight which would have shut down both engines. The two pilots had to restrain him and prevent him from touching any of the controls. LINK

 

[crimsonaudio]

If there was a third person on the flight deck during takeoff, apparently, their presence was not recorded on the manifest. The preliminary report shows a flight crew of two, which for a flight of 3700 nautical miles can be possibly done under US regulations. Most major airlines pilot contracts in the US would likely require a third pilot on a flight this long. Apparently, India requires only two on a flight this long. It would be difficult for an unauthorized person (but invited by the crew) sitting in one of the observer seats to shut down the engines without the pilots noticing. In the 787, it would be a long stretch to reach the fuel cutoff switches. I would imagine if that happened, you would hear on the voice recorder something along the lines of, "what are you doing, don't touch that".

Based on the images I've seen combined with the voice data recorder, I would assume the controls were outside of peripheral vision for the pilot and copilot, meaning a third party could flip the switches without being seen. If the switches are visible, then that means the questions recorded on the VDR were based on observation, unless I'm missing something...

 

[Elefantman]

Based on the images I've seen combined with the voice data recorder, I would assume the controls were outside of peripheral vision for the pilot and copilot, meaning a third party could flip the switches without being seen. If the switches are visible, then that means the questions recorded on the VDR were based on observation, unless I'm missing something...

These switches are not placed in the pilot's direct vision when they are focused on the primary flight instruments. But, you would notice movement in your peripheral vision from someone reaching up from behind. If you were driving your pickup truck with a console between the front seats in heavy rain. Your focus would be on the road, but you sure would notice if someone in the back seat tried to change the radio station.

 

[spidermayin]

After watching this, I wonder if the switching off of the fuel switches was on purpose, but that begs the question why?

 

[OakMtn4Bama]

pilot committed suicide is now a trending thought

 

[TIDE-HSV]

pilot committed suicide is now a trending thought

My mind turned that up immediately. It reminded me of the Malaysian incident. For the life of me, I can understand someone offing themselves, but to take so many innocent souls with you? What kind of mind is that?

 

[Elefantman]

The pilots commanding the Jeju Air plane that crashed in December, killing 179 people on board, shut off the less-damaged engine after a bird strike, a source told Reuters.