A day after Air India Flight AI 132 reported a fuel control switch issue, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday clarified that the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed London on February 1 only after the flight crew conducted a physical inspection of the switch. The regulator said no abnormal parameters were observed during engine start or at any point thereafter.
The issue came to light after an Air India pilot recorded a defect related to the fuel control switch in the aircraft’s logbook following its landing in Bengaluru. Subsequently, Air India’s engineering team carried out inspections based on checks recommended by Boeing to assess the switch’s serviceability.
According to the DGCA, the engineering team found that when force was applied correctly—parallel to the base plate—the switch remained secure. However, when external force was applied in an incorrect direction, the switch could move easily from the “Run” to the “Cut Off” position. This was attributed to the angular design of the base plate, which allows the switch to slip if pressed improperly with a finger or thumb.
The fuel control switch has come under heightened scrutiny following the June crash of an Air India London-bound Boeing 787-8, which killed 260 people. A preliminary investigation into that accident indicated that fuel supply was cut off immediately after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
In response to the recent incident, the DGCA advised Air India to circulate Boeing’s recommended procedure for operating the fuel “Cut Off” switch among its flight crew. Earlier, the aviation regulator had also released a video demonstrating that the incorrect method of operating the switch was being used.
On the basis of Boeing's communication, DGCA said the pull-to-unlock force was checked on the fuel control switch using the recommended procedure on the involved fuel cut off switch, the fuel control unit to be installed and fuel cut off switch of another aircraft.
"In all cases the pull-to-unlock force was found within limits. These inspections were carried out in the presence of DGCA officers," the statement said.
