Air India starts inspection of fuel control switches:Boeing 787 pilot reports switch-lock problem on London–Bengaluru flight, recalling Ahmedabad plane crash

Air India has started inspection of the fuel control switches in its Boeing 787 planes following the incident of a switch malfunctioning in an aircraft that operated a flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on 2 February (Sunday). Tata Group-owned aviation major operates around 33 Boeing 787s or Dreamliners. The news agency reported that inspections of half the fleet have been completed with no glitches found, but inspections of the remaining aircraft are still underway. The airline has also escalated the matter to Boeing for priority evaluation following the reported defect involving a Fuel Control Switch on one of Air India’s B787 aircraft. Air India has asked crew to report any defects observed during operations promptly and to ensure that all required actions are completed before accepting the aircraft. Notably, Air India had also inspected the fuel control switches last year after the fatal crash of a Boeing 787-8 plane in Ahmedabad that killed 260 people. Senior Vice President sends email to pilots Incident on London-Bengaluru Flight On Monday, a pilot reported a problem with a fuel control switch on a Boeing 787 aircraft, saying that the switch had locked. The plane had departed from London’s Heathrow Airport on Sunday and arrived in Bengaluru on Monday morning. Following the report, the aircraft has been grounded. Vigilance increased after Ahmedabad plane crash The fuel control switch is under scrutiny because a preliminary investigation into the June crash of a 787-8 plane in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people, showed that the fuel supply was cut off shortly after takeoff. Air India had also inspected the fuel control switch last year following that accident. Learn about the function and technology of the fuel control switch Fuel control switches are located in the aircraft cockpit near the thrust levers and manage the fuel supply to the engines. Their main purpose is to either start (Run position) or stop (Cutoff position) the fuel flow to the engines. Each engine has its own fuel control switch. For example, a Boeing 787 has two engines, so it has two switches—one for the left engine and one for the right. Run Position: When the switch is in “Run,” the fuel valve opens, allowing fuel to flow to the engine. This keeps the engine running and provides thrust to the aircraft. Cutoff Position: When the switch is in “Cutoff,” the fuel valve closes, stopping fuel flow to the engine. This immediately shuts down the engine. Fuel control switches are spring-loaded and have a detent (a type of lock) to hold them in place. Operating the switch requires three steps: grasp it, pull it out of the detent, and release it. It is not a normal switch that can be pressed accidentally.