No fault found in fuel control switch of Air India's February 787 incident, says govt

The government has found no abnormality in the fuel control switch of an Air India Boeing 787-8 that was grounded in February after pilots reported a possible defect during a London-Bengaluru flight, while a detailed examination of the aircraft's complete thrust control module is still underway at a Boeing facility.

The aircraft, operating Air India flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on February 2, 2026, was grounded after pilots reported in the defect log that the left fuel control switch slipped when pushed slightly and did not lock positively in the selected position.

Following the pilot's report, Air India carried out inspections and functional testing of the fuel control switches in the presence of officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), based on procedures recommended by Boeing. The original equipment manufacturer subsequently concluded that the switch was mechanically functioning as designed and was serviceable, though the DGCA directed that the component undergo further examination at the manufacturer's facility as part of continued airworthiness checks.


The February incident had prompted precautionary inspections across Air India's Boeing 787 fleet and drew scrutiny from aviation regulators, particularly because fuel control switches had come under increased focus in broader investigations into Boeing 787 operations. ([reuters.com][2])