Incorrect procedure may have led to issue; DGCA to look at other aspects

New Delhi/Mumbai: Aviation regulator has indicated that crew handling, rather than a technical defect, lay at the heart of a fuel control switch issue on an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, even as it widens its scrutiny of the episode and the airline steps up fleet checks.

Following an initial review, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has conveyed to Air India that “apparently correct procedure” was not followed while operating the fuel control switch on aircraft VT-ANX, and has directed the carrier to ensure strict adherence to Boeing-prescribed protocols by its pilots, sources said.

The incident occurred on February 1 during engine start at London Heathrow before flight AI132 to Bengaluru. According to the DGCA, crew members twice observed that the left engine fuel control switch did not remain firmly 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,” the regulator said, adding that the crew physically verified the latch before proceeding. The aircraft took off the same day and landed in Bengaluru on February 2 with more than 200 passengers aboard. No abnormal engine readings or warnings were recorded during the journey, and the flight concluded “without incident,” the DGCA noted.

Despite this, the aircraft was grounded in Bengaluru, and Air India plans to send the concerned fuel control switch module to the original equipment manufacturer for further examination. The DGCA is also expected to assess whether the aircraft should have been grounded at Heathrow itself instead of operating to India.

Two senior pilots, speaking anonymously, said that the aircraft should not have flown from London and suggested that operational pressure may have influenced the decision. Air India has not commented on these claims. The pilots who operated the flight have since been derostered while investigations continue.

Separately, Air India has begun inspecting fuel control switches across its entire Boeing 787 fleet of 33 aircraft, comprising 26 787-8s and seven 787-9s. Sources said nearly half the fleet has been checked so far, with no problems detected. The module on VT-ANX, installed in 2024, has logged 3,440 operational hours out of a total life of 20,000 hours.

Engineering checks carried out in line with Boeing guidance found both left and right switches satisfactory, with the locking tooth fully seated. The DGCA said the switch stayed secure when force was applied parallel to its base plate, but could move from “RUN” to “CUT OFF” if pressed at an incorrect angle.

The regulator has also advised Air India to circulate Boeing’s standard procedure for operating the fuel “CUT OFF” switch to all its crew, following a video that it said demonstrated an incorrect method. The focus on this switch has intensified after last June’s fatal crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8 that killed 260 people, where a preliminary probe pointed to fuel supply being cut off shortly after take-off.