The Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has announced a mandatory check of fuel switch locks on all Boeing aircraft following the AI 171 Crash on 12 June 2025. It has ordered all Indian airlines to complete the checks by July 21, 2025.
DGCA: Mandatory Checks to be Finished by 21 July
In the announcement, the DGCA quoted a ‘special airworthiness information bulletin’ (SAIB) issued on December 17, 2018, by the (US) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), that lists a potential disengagement of the fuel control switch locking featues on Boeing plane models including “717-200 airplanes; Model 737-700, -700C, -800, and -900ER series airplanes; Model 737-8 and -9 airplanes; Model 747-400, -400D, -400F, -8, and -8F series airplanes; Model 757-200, -200CB, -200PF, and -300 series airplanes; Model 767-200, -300,300F, -400ER, and -2C series airplanes; Model 787-8, -9, and-10 airplanes; Model MD-11 and MD-11F airplanes; and Model MD-90-30 airplanes.”
This order is put in place following the fatal accident of flight AI-171 last month, which took the lives of all except one onboard. The inspection report is due to be submitted to local authorities by 21 July 2025.
The authority also noted that a “strict adherence to the timeline” is crucial for regional aviation safety.
Widespread checking initiated across Airlines
According to the initial report from data recovered from the aircraft’s black box, the fuel supply of the Boeing 787 was cut seconds after takeoff. While still unsure of the cause, attention has been brought to the locking mechanism of the fuel switches on the Boeing aircraft, thus the order from the DGCA for mandatory checks.
The fuel switch locks are located in the cockpit, thus causing speculations of whether the crash is caused by a faulty switch or sabotage by the pilot turning the switches off during the flight. Air India’s chief executive, Campbell Wilson, has highlighted that the data does not explain why the switches were turned off and discouraged speculation.
However, this discovery has prompted major airlines to conduct reviews on the mechanism of the switch lock.
More updates to follow as a detailed investigation report of the AI 171 crash is revealed.
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