New Delhi: A day after an Air India Flight on the London-Bengaluru flight was grounded, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday said
that no issue has been found during inspections of the fuel control switches of the Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
Earlier, after the engines of the London-Bengaluru flight AI132 in London, the pilots found that the fuel control switch was not “positively latched” in the “Run” position after they applied the light vertical pressure.
DGCA issues statement
“On the third attempt, the switch latched correctly in ‘RUN’ and subsequently remained stable. Before continuing with the rest of the procedure, a physical verification was performed by the crew to confirm that the switch was fully and positively latched in the ‘RUN’ position,” DGCA said in the statement.
It added, “The operating crew member was briefed on the observation, unnecessary contact with the switch was avoided, and engine indications and alerting systems were closely monitored by the crew for the remainder of the flight. The flight was completed without incident.”
Rejoinder on News Item relating to purported malfunction of Fuel Cut OFF Switch on M/s Air India Boeing B787-8 aircraft VT-ANX pic.twitter.com/1CooavYvoI
— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) February 3, 2026
Both switches found satisfactory
Sharing further details of the team’s observation, the aviation regulator added that both the left and right switches were found in satisfactory condition. The locking tooth/pawl does not slip from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUT OFF’.
“When full force was applied parallel to the base plate, the switch remained secure. However, applying external force in an incorrect direction caused the switch to move easily from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUT OFF’, due to the angular base plate allowing slip when pressed improperly with finger or thumb,” it added further. The DGCA further said, “In all cases, the pull-to-unlock force was found within limits. These inspections were carried out in the presence of DGCA officers.”
In its statement, the DGCA also advised Air India to share the procedure recommended by Boeing for the operation of fuel ‘CUT OFF’ switch to its crew members of all its flights.
