Air India grounds a Dreamliner after pilot reports 'possible defect' in fuel control switch on landing in Bengaluru from London

NEW DELHI: Air India Monday grounded one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANX) after the crew operating this aircraft from London to Bengaluru reported an issue with the locking mechanism of the fuel control switch.

Boeing says it is "in contact with AI and supporting their review of this matter."




The aircraft had taken off from London at 9.19 pm Sunday from Heathrow and landed in Bengaluru Monday 11.54 am (all timings local). Airline sources say the pilot observed an issue with the switch after landing and reported the same.

However according to Safety Matters Foundation: “On Feb 2, 2026, during the operation of Air India Flight AI132 (London Heathrow to Bengaluru), the crew reported abnormal behaviour of the LEFT engine fuel control switch on Boeing 787 VT-ANX. During engine start, the switch failed to remain locked in the RUN position on two attempts, moving towards CUTOFF—a malfunction that could, under specific conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight.”

"Left fuel control switch slips from on to cut off when pushed down slightly. It does not lock in its position," says the pilot in his report filed with the airline.

This development assumes significance as on June 12, 2025, an AI B787 (VT-ANB) operating as AI 171 had crashed in Ahmedabad seconds after take off killing 260 people, because of fuel supply to its engines drying up as the switch had moved from run to cut off.

It is not yet conclusively known why the switch was cut off — whether due to a mechanical fault or otherwise.

Also read| Air India plane crash: What are the fuel control switches under scrutiny? What they do and why they matter

About the Bengaluru grounding, AI said in a statement: “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 original equipment manufacturer (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 Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this latest scare and has sought information from the airline. Comments have been sought from Boeing as well.

Boeing Dreamliner’s Fuel control switches came into sharp focus after the Ahmedabad crash. “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff (the fuel control switch). The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” says AI 171 crash preliminary investigation report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.

After the crash, AI had checked the fuel control switches of all its Dreamliners and had found no issues with them.

Aviation safety expert Captain Amit Singh said: “What makes this (Monday scare) deeply troubling is not only that it happened, but that it occurred after Air India publicly stated it had conducted precautionary checks across its 787 fleet and found no issues. This raises urgent questions: Were the checks thorough? Is this a new, recurring defect? Passengers and crews deserve unambiguous answers.”

Singh’s Safety matters Foundation said in a statement, “This incident is especially alarming as it mirrors a known risk previously identified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2018, the FAA issued safety alert for operators, explicitly warning that certain fuel control switches, including those on Boeing 787s, could malfunction in this exact manner, increasing the risk of accidental engine shutdown. The FAA recommended inspection and replacement of affected units.”
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