DGCA Rules Out Fault in Air India Dreamliner Fuel Control Switch
Regulator says handling, not hardware, was behind the reported issue, clearing the aircraft to return to service after inspections with Boeing.
News
- Peak XV Loses Three Senior Investors as Veteran Trio Spins Out
- DGCA Rules Out Fault in Air India Dreamliner Fuel Control Switch
- Intel to Build GPUs as It Pushes Deeper Into AI Hardware
- Apple Sets Up Bengaluru Hub to Train India Supplier Workforce
- Codex Gains Early Traction as OpenAI Pushes Agent-Led Coding
- Supreme Court Raises Red Flags Over Meta, WhatsApp Data Practices
India’s civil aviation regulator has found no mechanical defect in a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner grounded by Air India after a pilot reported a possible fuel control switch issue on a London–Bengaluru flight, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Tuesday.
The aircraft, operating flight AI132 from London Heathrow, encountered the issue on February 1 when the left engine’s fuel control switch did not remain locked in the “RUN” position during engine start on two attempts and latched correctly only on the third try, the regulator said.
Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel to aircraft engines. Moving a switch from RUN to CUTOFF immediately shuts off fuel supply, making the system critical to flight safety.
After the aircraft landed in Bengaluru and the crew recorded the observation in the aircraft’s technical log, Air India grounded the plane and referred the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation.
The DGCA said inspections and functional tests carried out in line with Boeing’s recommended procedures found no fault with the switches. The regulator said the switch could move from RUN to CUTOFF if pressure was applied at an incorrect angle, but remained secure when operated as designed.
DGCA officials were present during the inspections, which included force measurements on the affected switch, a replacement unit and a comparable switch from another aircraft. In all cases, the measured forces and locking behavior were found to be within prescribed limits, the regulator said.
Boeing engineers reviewed the issue and prescribed the inspection protocol followed by Air India, according to the DGCA.
The regulator said no abnormal engine parameters, cautions, warnings or system messages were observed during engine start or at any point during the flight, which was completed without incident. It also directed Air India to reiterate proper fuel control switch handling procedures to its pilots.
The aircraft was cleared to return to service after the checks, the DGCA said.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of fuel control switch handling on Boeing 787 aircraft following the June 2025 Ahmedabad crash, in which investigators found both engines lost thrust after their fuel control switches moved from RUN to CUTOFF shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people. Authorities have not linked the Bengaluru incident to that accident.
