Air India's Boeing 787 Dreamliner Cleared After Fuel Control Switch Defect Investigation

Amid a scare prompted by a possible defect in the fuel control switch of an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday said the airline conducted thorough checks on the equipment and pronounced it to be “satisfactory". The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) pushed out a rejoinder in connection with the case of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and said its officials were present when Air India conducted the inspections. While Air India has said it will be sending the fuel switch to Boeing for inspection and ask the company to replace it, the aircraft in question will be brought back into service. The plane was grounded after its pilot reported the matter. According to the DGCA, Air India crew reported the fuel switch issue in the plane as soon as it landed in Bengaluru following which the airline referred it to Boeing. After that, Air India conducted checks recommended by the company and said the procedure was “satisfactory". Air India, however, observed that incorrect and improper handling of the switch with regard to pressure and direction, caused it to move in the wrong direction. “Both left and right switches were checked and found satisfactory, with the locking tooth/pawl fully seated and not slipping from RUN to CUTOFF. When full force was applied parallel to the base plate, the switch remained secure. However, applying external force in an incorrect direction caused the switch to move easily from RUN to CUTOFF, due to the angular base plate allowing slip when pressed improperly with finger or thumb," the DGCA quoted Air India’s observation in its note. It said the video circulating on social media about the functioning of the fuel control switch was analysed “in light of Boeing recommended procedures" and found to be “incorrect". “The airline is being advised the circulate the Boeing recommended procedure for the operation of the Fuel CUT OFF switch to its crew members," it added in the note. The DGCA said the checks were necessitated after the crew observed, on two occasions, while taking off from London on February 1 that the “fuel control switch did not positively remain latched in the ‘RUN’ position when light vertical pressure was applied". “On the third attempt, the switch latched correctly in ‘RUN’ and subsequently remained stable. Before continuing with the rest of procedure, a physical verification was performed by the crew to confirm that the switch was fully and positively latched in the ‘RUN’ position. No abnormal engine parameters, cautions, warnings, or related system messages were observed during engine start or at any time thereafter," it said. It said all systems were closely monitored for the flight, which landed without any incident but the crew reported the “defect" in the pilot records database following which Air India took it up with Boeing. On Monday (February 2), an Air India spokesperson said one of its pilots reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch and the matter was communicated to DGCA. “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the spokesperson said. An Air India Boeing 787-8 plane had crashed on June 12, 2025, soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground. A preliminary investigation into the crash revealed that just seconds before the aircraft lost power and went down near Ahmedabad airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines. The second pilot reportedly said he “did not do so". The report mentioned that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash near the boundary of airport. (With agency inputs)