Air India crash

[facthunter]

That's been covered Brendan. We are on totally different wavelengths.   Nev

[BrendAn]

6 minutes ago, facthunter said:

That's been covered Brendan. We are on totally different wavelengths.   Nev

ok

[red750]

56 minutes ago, facthunter said:

YOU are NOT Meant to Remove stuff you disagree

Apart from things I have been asked by the author to remove, eg accidental multiple posts, the only things I have removed are spam posts, ie a member posting multiple advertising in a number of threads a few minutes after joining the forum. I have never removed any of your posts.

[facthunter]

That's fine red. but you have had a few shot's of a personal nature against Me and I don't think that's right . I DO value my reputation for things like trust and honesty. I also don't beat around the bush that much. That's Always been Me. I hate to be Long winded. I will Always respond to a genuine question and Hate Pissing contests.  How one comes across on line is very much in the Mind of the Perceiver. I don't try to Portray an Image one way or another. I KNOW I can annoy some people but it's not my Aim.  AS they say "You Can't Win them all."  AS an excuse I AM an aeroplane and engine Nutter every day of my life but It's an affliction and eventually an addiction . Anyhow, Before you die, SEE HARS.  Nev

[Roundsounds]

26 minutes ago, facthunter said:

That's fine red. but you have had a few shot's of a personal nature against Me and I don't think that's right . I DO value my reputation for things like trust and honesty. I also don't beat around the bush that much. That's Always been Me. I hate to be Long winded. I will Always respond to a genuine question and Hate Pissing contests.  How one comes across on line is very much in the Mind of the Perceiver. I don't try to Portray an Image one way or another. I KNOW I can annoy some people but it's not my Aim.  AS they say "You Can't Win them all."  AS an excuse I AM an aeroplane and engine Nutter every day of my life but It's an affliction and eventually an addiction . Anyhow, Before you die, SEE HARS.  Nev

One person cannot annoy or upset another person, it’s their choice whether that are annoyed or upset by your words.
That is a fact. 

[danny_galaga]

3 hours ago, BrendAn said:

That's your opinion 

The Dude abides

 

 

 

 

[red750]

Air India expert has new theory for why plane crashed moments after take-off - The Mirror

WWW.MIRROR.CO.UK

---

Aviation expert Mike Andrews - who is representing more than 90 victims, including some of the 52 Brits who died in the disaster - claims a water leak may explain a catastrophic loss of power to the engines

 

[Thruster88]

Garbage to sell a news paper.

[IBob]

It seems to me he's grasping at straws.........but I can agree with his larger point: that it's all speculation unless we get a good look at the detail of the data. And until then, it is wrong to be suggesting where the error/s may lie.

[Roundsounds]

On 27/8/2025 at 11:43 AM, Thruster88 said:

Garbage to sell a news paper.

Someone on the flight deck moved the fuel control switches from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after liftoff. Who and why remains the mystery. 

[Reynard]

Extract from AviationCircle…….
 

“A safety watchdog in India is raising a red flag after an Air India Boeing 787 crew reported a problem with a critical engine fuel control switch during startup on Flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru.

In a press release dated Feb. 2, the Safety Matters Foundation said the left engine fuel control switch on Boeing 787-9 VT-ANX twice failed to stay locked in the RUN position, instead drifting toward CUTOFF during engine start. The group warned that under certain conditions, that kind of malfunction could increase the risk of an inadvertent engine shutdown, and called for transparent, fleetwide scrutiny.

The foundation also pointed back to a 2018 FAA safety bulletin that warned some fuel control switches could be moved without using the locking feature, creating the risk of unintended operation. It’s also landing in the middle of ongoing attention on Air India’s 787 fleet after the June 2025 AI171 crash, where investigators documented fuel control switches moving to cutoff shortly after takeoff. No connection has been established between the events, but the timing is why the watchdog is pushing regulators and the airline to take a hard, public look at any repeat fuel switch reports.

Update: Air India says it has now grounded VT ANX after the report that pilots had an issue with the engine fuel control switches. The airline says it has formally notified India’s aviation regulator, the DGCA, and that further technical checks are underway in coordination with Boeing”

[Thruster88]

So the switch failed to stay in the run position TWICE at London. The aircraft VT-ANX then flys back to Bengaluru India where it has been grounded, for 26 hours now. Something doesn't smell right.

 

The last turn around at London was from 19.50 utc to 21.20 utc so it seems unlikely that the switch was replaced in London.

[BrendAn]

Just now, Thruster88 said:

So the switch failed to stay in the run position TWICE at London. The aircraft VT-ANX then flys back to Bengaluru India where it has been grounded, for 26 hours now. Something doesn't smell right.

 

The last turn around at London was from 19.50 utc to 21.20 utc so it seems unlikely that the switch was replaced in London.

why does this stuff happen to airlines like air india and not qantas or the other carriers with good reputations.

[Reynard]

“Something doesn't smell right.“

 

 Yep !! Why on earth would they fly this thing all the way back to India if they knew of this safety critical defect ?  Lots of chatter about this point and the speed of the leak of the pilots handwritten defect write up.  It sure does seem odd.

[Moneybox]

40 minutes ago, Reynard said:

“Something doesn't smell right.“

 

 Yep !! Why on earth would they fly this thing all the way back to India if they knew of this safety critical defect ?  Lots of chatter about this point and the speed of the leak of the pilots handwritten defect write up.  It sure does seem odd.

With a population of nearly 1.5 billion there are probably plenty of other pilots. He probably knew if he didn't fly it home he'd never fly again.

[danny_galaga]

43 minutes ago, Moneybox said:

With a population of nearly 1.5 billion there are probably plenty of other pilots. He probably knew if he didn't fly it home he'd never fly again.

The ultimate 'getthereitis' 😟

[Thruster88]

DGCA says no fault found in Boeing fuel control switch after Air India grounds plane

WWW.BBC.COM

---

The Boeing 787-8 jet was grounded after a pilot reported a possible issue with the fuel control switch.

 

[Blueadventures]

21 minutes ago, Thruster88 said:

DGCA says no fault found in Boeing fuel control switch after Air India grounds plane

WWW.BBC.COM

---

The Boeing 787-8 jet was grounded after a pilot reported a possible issue with the fuel control switch.

 

I would have thought the panel would be removed and replaced and the removed panel of the switches would be assessed and examined, considering its importance to operate correctly and the recent occurrences.

Edited February 5 by Blueadventures

[facthunter]

They are probably a bit jittery about them.  Nev

[onetrack]

The U.K. CAA has written to Air India, asking for a full detailed report with regard to the incident where Air India pilots reported they had problems with the B787 fuel cutoff switches at Heathrow, but continued the flight to India, where the aircraft was grounded for inspection of the switches.

The Air India inspection revealed no fault with the fuel cutoff switches, and the aircraft was cleared to fly again. The U.K. CAA is demanding a full report on the incident from Air India, within a week.

 

One has to suspect that if the pilots report was correct, and the switches failed to latch into position (twice) at Heathrow, but were then found to be fully functional once back in India, then the problem could possibly be caused by foreign debris becoming lodged in the switch mechanisms. 

 

But the simple fact remains, that the preliminary Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau report on the crash of AI171, in July 2025, stated that the fuel cutoff switches were moved to engine shutoff position, and a number of seconds later, were moved back to engine run position. This is not the same as the latest report, that indicated the fuel cutoff switches failed to stay latched, when moved.

 

However - I guess the possibility remains that if the fuel cutoff switches on AI171 failed to remain latched in the run position, and were then accidentally bumped by the Captain (PNF) to the shutoff position - then that does remain a potential cause for the AI171 crash.

Against that likelihood is the point that the two switches would both have to remain unlatched - as both switches were moved on AI171. The likelihood of both switches suffering from the same fault simultaneously, seems like a 100 billion to one chance.

 

In every manufacturer report (switch manufacturer, and Boeing), their constant message is, that the design of the switches ensures that they can never end up failing to latch into position.

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1398078697977349

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/uk-asks-air-india-explain-boeing-dreamliner-fuel-switch-incident-2026-02-04/

 

 

Edited February 5 by onetrack

[onetrack]

The website, livefromalounge.com, has acquired a photo of the sector log report by the pilots of the Air India B787, who reported the fuel control switch problem.

 

The pilot wrote, "Left fuel control switch slips from run to cut off when pushed down slightly. It does not lock in its position". Note that only one fuel control switch is listed as having a defect.

 

[danny_galaga]

1 hour ago, onetrack said:

The U.K. CAA has written to Air India, asking for a full detailed report with regard to the incident where Air India pilots reported they had problems with the B787 fuel cutoff switches at Heathrow, but continued the flight to India, where the aircraft was grounded for inspection of the switches.

The Air India inspection revealed no fault with the fuel cutoff switches, and the aircraft was cleared to fly again. The U.K. CAA is demanding a full report on the incident from Air India, within a week.

 

One has to suspect that if the pilots report was correct, and the switches failed to latch into position (twice) at Heathrow, but were then found to be fully functional once back in India, then the problem could possibly be caused by foreign debris becoming lodged in the switch mechanisms. 

 

But the simple fact remains, that the preliminary Indian Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau report on the crash of AI171, in July 2025, stated that the fuel cutoff switches were moved to engine shutoff position, and a number of seconds later, were moved back to engine run position. This is not the same as the latest report, that indicated the fuel cutoff switches failed to stay latched, when moved.

 

However - I guess the possibility remains that if the fuel cutoff switches on AI171 failed to remain latched in the run position, and were then accidentally bumped by the Captain (PNF) to the shutoff position - then that does remain a potential cause for the AI171 crash.

Against that likelihood is the point that the two switches would both have to remain unlatched - as both switches were moved on AI171. The likelihood of both switches suffering from the same fault simultaneously, seems like a 100 billion to one chance.

 

In every manufacturer report (switch manufacturer, and Boeing), their constant message is, that the design of the switches ensures that they can never end up failing to latch into position.

 

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1398078697977349

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/india/uk-asks-air-india-explain-boeing-dreamliner-fuel-switch-incident-2026-02-04/

 

 

At the risk of sounding pedantic, because yes the odds are big, they are not 100 billion to one  big. If there is an inherent design fault in the switch for instance, and they are from the same batch, chances are much higher. That is, if they have the same built in issue, there's a good chance they will wear out at roughly the same time. And I'm not suggesting they did this, but if one switch has been a bit iffy for a little while, and someone just holds it on takeoff just to be sure, you've allowed the other, very slightly better switch to 'catch up'. Again I don't have any experience with this sort of thing, but the odds of two switches failing at the same time are not quite as steep as you might first imagine.

[Student Pilot]

On 3/2/2026 at 10:01 PM, Moneybox said:

With a population of nearly 1.5 billion there are probably plenty of other pilots. He probably knew if he didn't fly it home he'd never fly again.

In most of Asia pilots do what they are told, they do not question the authority of management. Bad enough in the west where whistleblowers are treated badly and even jailed (DoD and tax department). Speaking out about problems and flagrant regulation breaches in GA means you run the risk of being unemployable.

[facthunter]

 The Network gets the message. This bloke is Trouble IF you refuse to fly CRAP which by Law you Must not fly. Also you DO WANT to keep your Job.  I refused to go with a safety clip Missing  and got written up (secretly)  as "showing NO initiative". How NICE to have THAT on your file? . I discovered it about 20years Later when the Union demanded such files be divulged and could be seen by the affected pilots. Nev

[red750]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15546941/Air-India-pilot-DID-turn-fuel-switches-crash-disaster-human-intervention-certainly-intentional-Western-sources-claim.html?ito=social-facebook