Air India's B787 plane grounded after engine fuel control switch fault

Fuel control switches were a key factor in last year's Air India 787 crash

An Air India Boeing 787 aircraft -- operating between London and Bengaluru -- on Monday reported abnormal behaviour of the left engine fuel control switch, which failed to remain locked in the “Run” position during engine start on two attempts and moved towards “Cutoff”.

 

Air India said it had grounded the aircraft, asked planemaker Boeing to examine the issue, and informed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) about the incident. In a statement, Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and was supporting its review of the matter.

 

Fuel control switches were at the centre of the Air India Boeing 787 (Flight AI171) crash on June 12 last year in Ahmedabad, in which 241 of the 242 people on board were killed, according to the preliminary report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau released in July 2025.

   

The report said both fuel control switches were moved to the “Cutoff” position in quick succession and, although they were returned to “Run” about 10 seconds later, the engines had already flamed out. According to the report, one pilot asked the other why he had moved the switches, and the other responded by denying it. The report did not specify whether it was the captain or the first officer who asked the question. It did not rule out technical faults and noted that aviation medicine and psychology experts were involved in the ongoing investigation.

 

On Monday, Safety Matters Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, issued a statement about an incident on Air India Flight AI132 from London to Bengaluru, operated earlier in the day by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It said the crew observed that the left engine fuel control switch failed to remain locked in the “Run” position during engine start on two attempts and moved towards the “Cutoff” position -- a malfunction that could, under specific conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown during flight.

 

“What makes this event deeply troubling is not only that it happened, but that it occurred after Air India publicly stated it had conducted precautionary checks across its 787 fleet and found no issues,” said Captain Amit Singh, founder of Safety Matters Foundation. “This discrepancy raises urgent questions: Were the checks thorough? Is this a new, recurring defect? Passengers and crews deserve unambiguous answers.” 

 

The foundation said the incident comes amid the ongoing investigation into the crash of Air India Flight AI171, which also involved a Boeing 787 aircraft. It added that while no connection is implied between Monday’s incident and the AI171 crash, repeated reports involving a critical engine control system on the same aircraft type warrant the highest level of scrutiny.

 

Responding to the incident, an Air India spokesperson said: “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the aircraft and are involving the OEM (original equipment manufacturer, Boeing) to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis.”

 

“The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority,” the spokesperson added.

  The fuel control switch is a critical engine control that regulates fuel flow to the engine. When set to “Run”, it allows fuel to flow normally, while the “Cutoff” position shuts off fuel supply to the engine.

 

Safety Matters Foundation called for the immediate and transparent disclosure by the DGCA and Air India of the findings once the inspection of the Boeing 787 involved in the recent incident is completed. The foundation also urged the DGCA to conduct an urgent regulatory review to determine whether Monday’s incident is isolated or indicative of a fleet-wide issue, which could necessitate the issuance of an immediate airworthiness directive.

 

There was no immediate comment from the civil aviation regulator.

 

C S Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, said that from the outset after the Air India Flight AI171 crash, the pilots’ body had been urging checks of all Boeing 787 aircraft for electrical system issues. He added: “We have also gone on record in the media and written mails and letters to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation that the fuel control switches must have moved automatically due to an electrical malfunction of the Thrust Control Management Apparatus in the Air India Flight AI171 crash.”

 

Randhawa said Boeing 787-8 aircraft were prone to water seepage into the main electronic bay, which can cause electrical malfunctions, citing an incident on June 12, 2025, when an Air India flight from Vienna to Delhi was grounded on the tarmac because of flooding in the electrical bay, and passengers were deplaned to avoid an accident.

 

He also referred to a February 17, 2019, incident involving an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8 in Osaka, Japan, in which both engines suddenly lost thrust during landing. He said Monday’s incident mirrored past issues, adding: “Today again, history has repeated itself at Heathrow airport in London, where the left fuel control switch was cut off after being moved to run during start.”

 

“We have been insisting that all Boeing 787 aircraft be grounded and checked for the electrical systems,” Randhawa added.