FAA says Boeing’s fuel keys are safe after the fatal flight crash

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The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a notification of its international counterparts that fuel control keys in Boeing aircraft such as Dreamliner participating in the deadly Air India collision last month are not a problem of safety.

The Federal Aviation Administration notice of foreign civil aviation authorities follows Primary report By the Indian Air Accident Investigation Bureau that engines on the 171th flights of Air India were briefly cut off short of takeoff on June 12.

The AAIB report said that the keys that control the flow of fuel to a plane engines have been transferred from “running” to “cutting”, which hindered the plane.

AAIB also referred to the 2018 bulletin issued by FAA with regard to the design of fuel control keys on various Boeing aircraft, including Dreamliner 787 used on flight 171.

The bulletin recommended that the Boeing Models, including 787, examine the fuel cutting keys-a step that Air India is not taken, according to the AAIB report.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in a notice of Friday, that the 2018 bulletin “was based on reports that fuel control keys had been installed using the lock feature.”

“Although the design of the fuel control key, including the lock feature, is similar in various Boeing models, FAA does not consider this problem an unsafe condition that would justify guidance in any Boeing plane models, including 787,” FAA’s notification continued.

“The Federal Aviation Administration will continue to share relevant information with foreign civil aviation authorities as necessary.”

Boeing referred a request to comment on FAA, which has not yet commented. Reuters previously reported the contents of the notification.

The 171st flight of Ahmedabad was scheduled to travel to Gatwick Airport in London. Two hundred and sixty people died when the plane crashed into the medical college near the place where it took off, representing a bloodiest plane accident for more than a decade.

AAIB is investigating the crash in coordination with the American National Transportation Council and the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch, with FAA providing technical support.

AAIB said that the crash investigators continue to search for evidence and collect information, with no procedures for Boeing Dreamlines or Geospace engines that operate journey 171 at this time.