As investigations continue into the fatal Air India Boeing 787-8 crash last month that claimed 260 lives, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have stated that the fuel switch locking mechanisms on Boeing aircraft are safe, according to documents reviewed by Reuters and sources familiar with the matter.

The FAA issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification on July 11 to global civil aviation authorities, stating that although the fuel control switch design, including its locking feature, is shared across multiple Boeing aircraft models, there is no evidence to suggest an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive (AD).

“The FAA does not consider this issue to be an unsafe condition that would warrant an Airworthiness Directive on any Boeing airplane models, including the Model 787,” the notification said.

When asked for additional comments, the FAA declined to elaborate further.

Boeing also echoed this position in a recent Multi-Operator Message sent to airlines, confirming that no action is currently recommended, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the communication. When contacted, Boeing referred all inquiries to the FAA.

Background of the Crash Investigation

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) recently released a preliminary report into the June crash of a Boeing 787-8 operated by Air India. The report raised questions over the engine fuel cutoff switches, suggesting that both switches had almost simultaneously flipped from “run” to “cutoff” just after takeoff.

A critical moment captured on the cockpit voice recorder revealed one pilot asking the other why the fuel was cut off, to which the second pilot responded, “I did not do so.”

The investigation also cited a 2018 FAA safety advisory that recommended—but did not mandate—airlines to inspect the fuel cutoff switch locking mechanisms on various Boeing aircraft, including the 787, to ensure they couldn’t be unintentionally activated. Air India reportedly did not perform these checks, stating that the FAA’s advisory was non-mandatory.

Despite this, the AAIB report confirmed that the aircraft and its engines were in compliance with all applicable airworthiness directives and service bulletins at the time of the crash.

Pilot Association Demands Role in Probe

Amid growing scrutiny, ALPA India, the body representing Indian pilots under the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations, has rejected early suggestions of pilot error and called for a fact-based and impartial investigation.

“The pilot’s body must now be made part of the probe, at least as observers,” said ALPA India President Sam Thomas in a statement to Reuters.

In a letter posted on X (formerly Twitter), ALPA India emphasized the relevance of the 2018 FAA advisory, describing it as a sign of potential equipment malfunction rather than pilot negligence.

Two U.S. aviation safety experts expressed support for ALPA India’s request to join the investigation as observers but added that the AAIB’s report did not appear biased against the pilots.

John Cox, a veteran pilot and former ALPA representative, said the report by Indian investigators appeared objective and fair.