ADGCA-ordered probe cleared Dreamliner fuel switch: Government
NEW DELHI: A DGCA-ordered probe by Boeing into the fuel control switch locking mechanism of the B787 Dreamliner has found “no abnormality”, govt told Parliament on Wednesday.The regulator had ordered this repeat examination after the crew operating an AI Dreamliner from London to Bengaluru in Feb had observed an issue with the switch after landing safely and had reported the same.The switches, which control fuel supply to engines, have been under scrutiny after AI 171 crashed within seconds of taking off from Ahmedabad in June 2025 as its engines had run out of fuel. While the incident is still being probed, the locking system of fuel control switches has been probed multiple times since then to ensure safety.Dreamliners operating around the world are still being looked at by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is probing the crash. The Dreamliner is the most widely used mid-range wide body aircraft globally.“DGCA, as part of continued airworthiness, directed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) level testing of fuel control switch locking mechanism in Seattle. Detailed examination of fuel control switch including structural integrity of fuel control switch detents was carried out and no abnormality was observed,” minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said in reply to a Parliament question Wednesday.The minister, however, added that “further inspection of complete thrust control module at OEM facility is underway”.This module translates pilot inputs or autothrottle commands into precise electronic signals to control engine power.
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On Feb 2, 2026, the AI Dreamliner on which the crew had reported an issue with the fuel control switch after landing in Bengaluru had been grounded for checks. At that time, AI had said in a statement: “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787 aircraft…We have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the OEM to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues.”On the AI 171 crash, Mohol said Wednesday: “There is no delay in the investigation. The timeline for a major accident investigation cannot be predicted, as it depends on several factors and is an evolving process. The final report will be made public and published on AAIB’s website after completion.”
