The investigation into the June 11 crash of Air India Flight 171 has placed focus on the engines’ fuel shut-off switches. Though India’s Accident Investigation Bureau preliminary factual report is not expected to be released before July 11, “knowledgeable people” told online news source The Air Current that data from the flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) suggests investigators cannot rule out “improper, inadvertent, or intentional actions that preceded or followed the apparent loss of thrust,” that resulted in the accident.
The crash killed all but one of the 242 on board the Boeing 787 Dreamliner – the first fatal Dreamliner crash since it entered service in 2011 – and 19 on the ground after takeoff from Ahmebadad Airport in India on a flight to London Gatwick Airport. Transmissions from the cockpit reported a lack of engine thrust as the airliner was going down.
The fact that neither Boeing nor Dreamliner engine maker GE Aerospace have issued a multi-operator message (MOM) or an all-ops wire notification since the accident is an indicator that mechanical failure is not suspected. Also, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not issued an urgent safety recommendation; nor has the FAA issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC).
The fuel shutoff toggle switches are located on the center console of the 787 behind the power levers. They are shielded by brackets on either side of the console to help prevent involuntary actuation; and activating the switches requires pulling the handle up before it can be toggled between the “Run” and “Cutoff” positions. The emergency switches are meant to be used in the event of an engine fire, among other reasons.
The Air Current reports that it remains unclear how much information will be released in the preliminary report, which is required to be made public within a month of when the FDR and CVR were recovered on June 13. According to The Air Current post, ICAO said, “Preliminary reports may be marked as confidential or remain public at the investigating State’s discretion.”
No. If you were at altitude and an engine shut down you would follow the engine restart procedure in the manual which probably requires closing a fuel valve. When you have landed there is an engine shutdown procedure which involves turning off the fuel switches.
I’m suspecting “suicide by pilot” … one could reach behind the console and turn off the fuel which would cause a dual engine shut down, as this article surmises.