NEW DELHI: Aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has directed the inspection of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) of an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft that operated from London Heathrow to Bengaluru by its officers in June at the Boeing facility in the US.
Flight AIC 132, operating from London Heathrow to Bengaluru on February 2, 2026, was grounded after a malfunction was reported in the switch.
The Fuel Control Switch in Boeing aircraft came under international scrutiny following the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12, 2025, in which 260 people were killed. According to investigators, the switch had moved to the ‘OFF’ position after take-off, cutting off fuel supply to the aircraft.
An official release from the Aviation Ministry said the aircraft was grounded after an entry in the Pilot Defect Report stated that the left FCS “slips from RUN to CUT OFF when pushed slightly and does not lock positively in its selected position”.
Based on recommendations from the Original Equipment Manufacturer, Air India conducted a preliminary inspection and functional testing of the switch in Bengaluru in the presence of Directorate General of Civil Aviation officers.
“Upon review of the inspection results and evidence provided, OEM concluded that the Fuel Control Switch was mechanically functioning as designed and considered the unit serviceable,” the release said.
The DGCA India, as part of continued airworthiness of the involved Fuel Control Switch, has directed for their inspection at OEM facility in presence of its officers, it added.
International scrutiny after Ahmedabad crash
The Fuel Control Switch in Boeing aircraft came under global scrutiny following the Air India Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12, 2025, in which 260 people were killed. According to investigators, the switch had moved to ‘OFF’ position after take-off, cutting off fuel supply.
