What are the fuel switches at the centre of the Air India crash probe?
NEW DELHI - The preliminary report from investigators probing the
Air India crash that killed 260 people showed that seconds after takeoff, the Boeing 787 plane's engine fuel control switches were switched off briefly, starving them of fuel.
Here are a few facts about the switches, their functions in the aircraft and their movements on the Air India flight.
What are fuel switches?
They are switches that regulate fuel flow into a plane's engines.
They are used by pilots to start or shut down engines on the ground, or to manually shut down or restart engines if an engine failure occurs during a flight.
Aviation experts say a pilot would not be able to accidentally move the fuel switches that feed the engines.
But if moved, the effect would be immediate, cutting off engine power.
There are independent power systems and wiring for the fuel cutoff switches and the fuel valves controlled by those switches, according to US aviation safety expert John Cox.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission: PM Wong
Asia Air India crash report shows pilot confusion over engine switch movement
Business F&B operators face tougher business landscape amid rising costs and stiff competition
Business What's in store for policyholders after GE removes pre-authorisation letters for two private hospitals
Multimedia Which floor is this? Chongqing's maze-like environment powers its rise as a megacity
Asia 'Woven air': Ancient fabric spun across history makes comeback amid lies and climate change
Sport 'A step forward' for golfer Shannon Tan, who makes cut at Evian Championship
Business 4 conditions that allow seniors with dementia to sign wills
Where are the fuel switches located?
The two fuel control switches on a 787, in Air India's case equipped with two GE engines, are located below the thrust levers.
The switches are spring-loaded to remain in position. To change one from run to cutoff, a pilot has to first pull the switch up and then move it from run to cutoff or vice versa.
There are two modes: 'CUTOFF' and 'RUN'.
What happened on the fatal Air India flight?
According to the flight recorder, a few seconds after takeoff, switches for both engines transitioned to 'CUTOFF' from 'RUN' one after another with a time gap of one second.
As a result, the engines began to lose power.
One pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said.
It did not identify which remarks were made by the flight's captain and which by the first officer.
Seconds later, the switches flipped back to 'RUN', according to the preliminary report.
Both fuel control switches were found in the 'RUN' position at the crash site, it said.
When fuel control switches are moved from 'CUTOFF' to 'RUN' while the aircraft is in flight, each engine's control system automatically manages a relight and thrust recovery sequence of ignition and fuel introduction, the report said.
"No sane pilot would ever turn those switches off in flight," especially as the plane is just starting to climb, US aviation safety expert John Nance said. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
EU holds off on US tariff countermeasures for now to pursue talks
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen looks on during a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and European Council President Antonio Costa, during an EU-Canada summit in Brussels, Belgium June 23, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo BRUSSELS - The European Union said on Sunday it would extend its suspension of countermeasures to U.S. tariffs until early August and continue to press for a negotiated settlement, after U.S. President Donald Trump ratcheted up his trade war on the bloc. Trump said on Saturday he would be imposing a 30% tariff on most imports from the EU from August 1, though his deadline gave the EU, like other targeted countries, time to hammer out agreements that could lower the threatened tariff rate. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive Commission which handles trade policy for the 27 member states, said the bloc would maintain its two-track approach: keep talking and prepare retaliatory measures. "We have always been very clear that we prefer a negotiated solution. This remains the case, and we will use the time that we have now," von der Leyen told a press conference, adding that the bloc would extend its halt on countermeasures until August. Von der Leyen's decision to resist immediate retaliatory measures points to the European Commission's desire to avoid a spiralling tit-for-tat escalation in the trade war while there remains a chance of negotiating an improved outcome. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Trump had seen some trade deal offers and thinks they need to improve, adding that without that, he would proceed with the threatened tariffs on Mexico, the EU and other countries. "These tariffs are real if the president doesn't get a deal that he thinks is good enough," Hassett told ABC's This Week programme. "But you know, conversations are ongoing, and we'll see where the dust settles." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Govt will continue to support families, including growing group of seniors: PM Wong at PCF Family Day Singapore From Normal stream to Parliament: 3 Singapore politicians share their journeys World Israeli strikes kill over 40 as truce talks deadlocked, says Gaza civil defence Singapore Segregated recycling bins found to lower contamination rate as more spring up Asia Mahathir discharged from hospital after feeling fatigued during birthday gathering Business 29 Jollibean workers get help from MOM, other agencies, over unpaid salaries Singapore Medics treat 7 after blaze at HDB block lift lobby in Chai Chee Singapore I lost my daughter to Kpod addiction: Father of 19-year-old shares heartbreak and lessons TEST OF UNITY The latest salvo from Trump and the question of how to respond may test the unity of member states, with France appearing to take a tougher line than Germany, the bloc's industrial powerhouse whose economy leans heavily on exports. French President Emmanuel Macron said the Commission needed more than ever to "assert the Union's determination to defend European interests resolutely", and that retaliation might need to include so-called anti-coercion instruments. Germany's economy minister called for a "pragmatic solution" immediately after Trump's latest threat, though on Sunday the country's finance minister said the EU should be ready to take firm action if talks failed. "If a fair negotiated solution does not succeed, then we must take decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and companies in Europe," Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, also vice chancellor in the ruling coalition, told Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. While the EU has held back from retaliating against the U.S. in the months since Trump hit the bloc with tariffs, it has readied two packages that could hit a combined 93 billion euros of U.S. goods. A first package, in response to U.S. levies of 50% on imported steel and aluminium that would hit 21 billion euros in U.S. goods was suspended in April for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. The suspension had been due to expire on Monday before the extension was announced. A second package in retaliation against Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs has been in the works since May and was set to target 72 billion euros of U.S. goods. These measures have not been made public and the final list requires approval by member states. ANTI-COERCION INSTRUMENT Von der Leyen said on Sunday that the use of the EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument was not yet on the table. The instrument allows the bloc to retaliate against third countries that put economic pressure on EU members to change their policies. "The (anti-coercion) instrument is created for extraordinary situations, we are not there yet," she said. Possible retaliatory steps could include restricting EU market access to goods and services, and other economic measures related to areas including foreign direct investment, financial markets and export controls. In a sign of the EU's desire to strike deals with more trading partners at a time of deepening uncertainty in trans-Atlantic relations, von der Leyen said a political agreement had been reached to advance an EU-Indonesia trade deal. France's cheese producers warned of the damaging consequences of a 30% tariff for the local dairy industry, which exports nearly half its produce, including to the United States. "It's a new environment we will have to get used to - I don't think this is temporary," Francois Xavier Huard, CEO of dairy association FNIL, told Reuters. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Deal or no deal? EU faces critical decision in response to Trump's latest tariff salvo
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Trump's shock threat to slap 30 per cent tariffs on the EU from Aug 1 is a severe blow to Europe's confidence. – Trade ministers from the European Union's 27 member states are meeting in Brussels on July 14 to face a critical choice. They can decide to persist in efforts to reach a trade deal with the United States. Or they could respond to US President Donald Trump's latest threats to impose massive tariffs on European exports by imposing their own punitive tariffs against American products.
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Syria signs $800 million agreement with DP World to bolster ports infrastructure
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: The corporate logo of DP World is seen at Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 27, 2018. Picture taken December 27, 2018. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo Syria's General Authority for Land and Sea Ports on Sunday signed a $800 million agreement with UAE's DP World to bolster Syrian ports infrastructure and logistical services, Syrian state news agency SANA reported. The agreement follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in May. The deal with DP World, a subsidiary of United Arab Emirates investment company Dubai World, focuses on developing a multi-purpose terminal at Tartous on Syria's Mediterranean coast and cooperation in setting up industrial and free trade zones. The signing ceremony was attended by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating a U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, paving the way for an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and for the rebuilding of its economy shattered by the civil war. The removal of U.S. sanctions will also clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds. REUTERS
