No fault found in fuel control switch of Air India Dreamliner flight, says govt

The government told Parliament that no defect was found in the fuel control switch of the Air India Boeing 787-8 that was grounded in February. It has renewed attention on fuel switches, which are at the centre of the probe into the Ahmedabad crash.Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel to an aircraft's enginesNo defects were found in the fuel control switch locking mechanism of the Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft that was grounded in February this year, the government told Parliament. The aircraft was grounded after the pilot operating the London-Bengaluru flight (AI 132) reported a possible fault in the switch. Notably, fuel control switches on the same aircraft model are at the centre of the probe into last year's Ahmedabad plane crash, which left 260 dead.Fuel control switches regulate the flow of fuel to an aircraft's engines. In its reply, the government said the inspection of the aircraft's complete "thrust control module" was underway at a Boeing facility."Detailed examination of fuel control switch, including structural integrity of fuel control switch detents, was carried out and no abnormality was observed," the government said. In fact, the testing at Boeing's Seattle facility took place in the presence of a DGCA officer, considering its sensitive nature.The aircraft took off from London on February 1 and landed in Bengaluru safely. Upon landing, the pilot reported a suspected fault in the left engine fuel control switch. As per the complaint, the fuel switch did not lock into its 'run' position after two attempts and slipped to 'cutoff' when pushed down slightly. However, this anomaly did not happen on the third attempt, after which the crew completed the journey.In simple terms, if the fuel control switch moves towards 'cutoff', it leads to an engine shutdown. The February incident renewed focus on fuel control switches on Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Air India operates the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on several international routes, including to the UK.WHEN WILL AIR INDIA CRASH REPORT BE OUT?On June 12, a similar Boeing model, operating as AI 171, crashed in Ahmedabad seconds after take-off, killing 260 people. The Ahmedabad-London flight lost power after take-off and crashed into the hostel of a medical college close to the airport.In its preliminary report, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) revealed that both the fuel switches of the aircraft flipped from "run" to "cutoff" position almost simultaneously after lift-off. It cut off fuel to the two engines, causing AI 171 to crash.The report, however, did not reveal the reason behind it - whether due to a mechanical fault or otherwise. It did mention one pilot asking the other why he "cut off" the fuel supply. The other responded that he did not.After the tragedy, Air India said a probe into the locking mechanism of fuel control switches across its fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft found no issues.The final report on the reasons behind the crash is expected to be out before the end of October.In its reply in Parliament, the government has pushed back against criticism over the delay in releasing the final report.The government reasoned that investigations into such key accidents cannot be tied to a predetermined deadline."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 government said.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Jul 29, 2026 17:18 IST