A serious technical issue was reported on an Air India flight flying from London to Bengaluru earlier this week. The pilots of flight AI-132 noticed a problem with a fuel control switch while starting the engines at Heathrow Airport. This incident has raised concerns because a similar component issue was linked to the tragic crash of flight AI-171 in June 2025. Following the safe landing of the aircraft, the aviation regulator DGCA has conducted an urgent inspection.
What happened before the flight took off?
The incident took place on February 1 when the Boeing 787-8 aircraft was preparing for departure. During the engine start-up process, the pilot reported that the left fuel control switch did not stay locked in the ‘RUN’ position. It slipped towards the ‘CUTOFF’ position twice, even though only light pressure was applied.
The flight crew managed to lock the switch successfully on their third attempt. Before taking off, they performed a physical verification to confirm that the switch was fully latched and secure. The crew decided to proceed with the flight but chose to monitor the engine indicators closely and avoid touching the switch unnecessarily. The flight landed safely in Bengaluru on February 2.
What did the DGCA inspection reveal?
Air India grounded the aircraft immediately after it reached Bengaluru for priority checks. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officers inspected the switch on February 3. The officials stated that the switch worked satisfactorily when it was operated according to the official procedures recommended by Boeing.
The regulator noted that the switch might slip if force is applied in the wrong direction. This happens because of the angular shape of the base plate. To be absolutely sure, Air India is sending the specific switch part to the manufacturer, Honeywell, for detailed testing. This part was relatively new and had been used for only 3,440 hours.
How is this linked to the previous crash?
This fuel switch system is under heavy scrutiny because it was the main fault in the AI-171 crash that occurred in June 2025. In that accident, the fuel switches moved to the cutoff position right after takeoff, which stopped the fuel supply to the engines and caused the crash.
After this new incident with AI-132, the DGCA has instructed Air India to recirculate the correct operating procedures to all pilots. This step is taken to ensure that every pilot handles the locking mechanism correctly and to prevent any accidental slips during flights.
