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During the review, the airline and the DGCA officers found that the Fuel Control Switch “was mechanically functioning as designed and considered the unit serviceable.”
Air India Boeing 787 aircraft grounded over faulty fuel control switch: ‘Slips from RUN to CUTOFF’(REUTERS)Air India Boeing 787-8 was grounded post its London Heathrow to Bengaluru, Karnataka flight in February 2026, over its faulty Fuel Control Switch. According to Ministry of Civil Aviation, a flight was grounded after a report in the ‘Pilot Defect Report’ stated that the Fuel Control Switch slipped from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ when it was pushed slightly. The report mentioned that the switch also did not lock positively in its selected position.
The ministry report said, “On 02.02.2026, M/s Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft VT-ANX, post operation of flight sector AIC-132 (London Heathrow (EGLL) – Bengaluru (VOBL), was grounded based upon an entry made in the Pilot Defect Report stating that the left Fuel Control Switch (FCS) slips from “RUN” to “CUTOFF” when pushed slightly and does not lock positively in its selected position.”
It further said that based on recommendations from Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), the airline carried out an inspection and functional testing of the Fuel Control Switches (FCS) in accordance with OEM-prescribed procedures in presence of officers of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
What was found during inspection?
During the review, the airline and the DGCA officers found that the Fuel Control Switch “was mechanically functioning as designed and considered the unit serviceable.”
“The DGCA India, as part of continued airworthiness of the involved Fuel Control Switch, has directed for their inspection at OEM facility in presence of DGCA officers,” it said.
It was earlier reported that the aviation authorities would send a fuel control switch from a Boeing 787 to the United States for further inspection, even though initial checks found no fault.
The US inspection comes ahead of the separate final report into the crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner that killed 260 people shortly after takeoff in June 2025.
Last year on June 12, Air India flight AI-171, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, crashed soon after it took off from Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, killing 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.
Meanwhile, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has informed that the investigation into the Air India crash was in its final stage and assured that the probe was being conducted in a transparent, fair and accountable manner.
Speaking to reporters, Ram Mohan Naidu said, “The investigation is in its final stages... This investigation doesn't just concern India because it was an international flight... Anybody can scrutinise this investigation, that is why we want it to be completely transparent, fair, and accountable... I believe that we will get the report soon.”
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