Air India Boeing 787 Grounded at Heathrow Following Pilot Report of Fuel Switch Defect
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner operating flight AI132 from London Heathrow to Bengaluru has been grounded after pilots reported a "possible defect" with a critical fuel control switch. The incident has raised significant safety concerns, particularly as it involves the same aircraft model and component type that was central to the investigation into the catastrophic Air India Flight 171 crash in Ahmedabad last June.
Pilot Log Entry Details Switch Malfunction
Sky News has obtained paperwork showing that one of the pilots on Flight 132 logged a concerning entry after the aircraft landed early on Tuesday morning. The documentation states: "LEFT FUEL CONTROL SWITCH SLIPS FROM RUN TO CUT OFF WHEN PUSHED DOWN SLIGHTLY. IT DOES NOT LOCK IN ITS POSITION." Aviation experts note that this type of malfunction, under specific conditions, could potentially lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown during flight, creating a serious safety hazard.
According to aviation sources, the issue occurred during two consecutive attempts at the engine start-up procedure. The crew's decision to proceed with the flight despite the switch failing to remain locked in the "RUN" position and moving toward "CUTOFF" has raised questions about operational protocols and risk assessment.
Connection to Previous Tragedy and Regulatory Warnings
The incident takes on particular significance given the context of last year's Air India Flight 171 disaster. The June 2025 crash in Ahmedabad killed 260 people, with British passenger Viswashkumar Ramesh being the only survivor. A preliminary report published by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau in July indicated that switches controlling fuel in the cockpit had been moved to a "CUTOFF" position during that fatal flight.
Captain Amit Singh, founder of the aviation safety group Safety Matters Foundation, told Sky News: "The incident is especially alarming as it mirrors a known risk previously identified by the US Federal Aviation Administration." He referenced FAA Safety Alert For Operators SAIB NM-18-33, issued in 2018, which explicitly warned that certain fuel control switches on Boeing 787 aircraft could malfunction in precisely this manner, increasing the risk of accidental engine shutdown.
Airline Response and Previous Inspections
In response to the latest incident, Air India released a statement confirming they had grounded the affected aircraft and were involving the original equipment manufacturer to investigate the pilot's concerns on a priority basis. The airline stated: "The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA [Directorate General of Civil Aviation]."
The airline further noted that they had previously examined fuel control switches across their entire Boeing 787 fleet following a directive from India's DGCA after the June crash, and had "found no issues" during those inspections. This discrepancy between previous clean inspection reports and the current malfunction report has raised urgent questions about inspection effectiveness and component reliability.
Captain Singh described the situation as "deeply troubling" given the airline's previous assurances about switch inspections. He emphasized: "The fuel switches are relevant to AI171 because it points to a possible hazard: unintended switch movement. Investigators can confirm or dismiss this using recorded data, switch inspection and maintenance records."
Broader Implications for Aviation Safety
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about aircraft component reliability and maintenance procedures within the aviation industry. Boeing has confirmed they are in contact with Air India and are supporting their review of the matter, but the recurrence of similar issues across different aircraft and flights suggests systemic challenges that may require more comprehensive solutions.
Aviation regulators worldwide will likely be monitoring this situation closely, particularly given the historical context of the FAA's 2018 warning about similar switch malfunctions. The fact that this incident occurred at one of the world's busiest airports, London Heathrow, adds another layer of significance to the safety implications.
As investigations continue, the aviation community awaits further details about whether this represents an isolated incident or indicates a broader pattern requiring regulatory intervention and enhanced safety protocols for Boeing 787 fuel control systems.
