Air India Boeing Dreamliner fuel control switch issue: UK seeks details

Air India has been asked by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority to provide details of the incident of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft facing a fuel control switch issue at London's Heathrow airport before take off for Bengaluru on February 1, a report said.

An Air India pilot reported on February 2 a defect with the fuel control switch of the Boeing 787-8 plane after operating the AI 132 flight. The airline grounded the aircraft for checks after it landed in Bengaluru on February 2.

Also read: No engine issue in Air India Boeing 787 after fuel switch glitch: DGCA

Indian aviation regulator DGCA's initial examination of the issue found that "apparently correct procedure" was not followed in operating the switch. The airline has been asked to ensure that the crew follows the right procedures.

What Air India said

On Wednesday, a PTI report, citing sources, said the UK Civil Aviation Authority had sought details about the incident from Air India.

An Air India spokesperson told the news agency that the airline completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and that no issues were identified during these checks.

"Air India will respond to the UK regulator accordingly," the spokesperson said.

A source on Tuesday had said the DGCA is likely to look at various aspects related to the incident, including whether the aircraft VT-ANX could have been grounded at London Heathrow itself rather than operating the flight to Bengaluru.

The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned that fuel supply was cut off soon after take-off.

(With agency inputs)