India govt: Boeing finds no abnormality in Dreamliner fuel control switch inspection

Source: PTI

The government has stated that Boeing's detailed examination of the Dreamliner aircraft's fuel control switch locking mechanism found no abnormality, following an Air India pilot's report of possible issues after operating a London Heathrow–Bengaluru flight in February this year.

Incident and Initial Response

On February 2, an Air India pilot reported a defect in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after operating flight AI132. The airline grounded the aircraft for checks after it landed in Bengaluru from London.

Following the incident, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), as part of continued airworthiness, directed Boeing to carry out testing of the fuel control switch locking mechanism.

Minister's Statement to Parliament

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday (July 27, 2026), Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the DGCA had directed Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) level testing of the fuel control switch locking mechanism in Seattle.

"Detailed examination of Fuel Control Switch, including structural integrity of Fuel Control Switch detents, was carried out and no abnormality was observed. However, further inspection of the complete 'Thrust Control Module' at the OEM facility is underway," the Minister stated.

The Minister was responding to a question about the outcome of the DGCA's OEM-level testing ordered after the February 2026 grounding.

Air India's Precautionary Measures

After the pilot flagged a possible issue, an Air India spokesperson said on February 4 that the airline had completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet, and no issues were identified during these checks.

Context: June 2025 Crash

The functioning of the fuel control switch in Dreamliners has been under scrutiny following the fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12 last year. A total of 260 people died in the crash of the aircraft, which was bound for London Gatwick.

In its preliminary report released on July 12 last year, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) stated that the fuel supply to both engines was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report said.

Investigation Status

Mr. Mohol, in his written reply, said there was no delay in the investigation.

"The timeline for a major accident investigation cannot be predicted, as it depends on several factors and is an evolving process involving multiple variables. The investigation is under progress. All probable causes and contributing factors leading to the accident are being investigated," he said.