Now Reading: No abnormality in Air India 787 fuel switch, Centre tells Parliament
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No abnormality in Air India 787 fuel switch, Centre tells Parliament
The Union government has told Parliament that inspections of the fuel control switch on an Air India Boeing 787 grounded in February 2026 found “no abnormality”. The aircraft, on a London-Bengaluru flight,…
The Story in Brief
The Union government has told Parliament that inspections of the fuel control switch on an Air India Boeing 787 grounded in February 2026 found “no abnormality”. The aircraft, on a London-Bengaluru flight, was inspected after the pilot reported the left engine’s fuel switch did not stay latched in the ‘RUN’ position. The switch was later examined at the manufacturer’s facility in Seattle, and the thrust control module is still being tested.
The disclosure comes amid the investigation into the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad in June 2025, in which the fuel control switches moved from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ before the aircraft lost power. The AAIB is yet to determine whether the movement was accidental or deliberate, with its final report due by October. The UK regulator has also sought maintenance records from Air India.
The Indian Opinion
The government's statement that no fault was found in the grounded 787's fuel switch will be read against the AI 171 crash, where the same part moved to cutoff. Skeptics may see this as a cover-up, but the switch was examined only at the OEM facility, and the full thrust control module is still being tested. The real test comes with the AAIB's final report, expected by October. Until then, neither a single clean inspection nor a preliminary finding proves a systemic flaw, or rules one out.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
