The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority has asked Air India to provide details of an incident of fuel switch control issue reported by pilots of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft following take-off from London’s Heathrow Airport, according to sources.
A pilot of the Air India plane had reported on February 2 a defect with the fuel control switch of the AI132 flight after it landed in Bengaluru.
The airline grounded the aircraft for checks and an initial examination by Indian aviation regulator, DGCA, found that “apparently correct procedure” was not followed in operating the switch. The airline has been asked to ensure that the crew follows the right procedures.
But, on Wednesday, sources said the UK Civil Aviation Authority had sought details about the incident from Air India.
Also Read: London-Bengaluru AI flight grounded after fuel switch error
An Air India spokesperson said the airline had completed precautionary re-inspections of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) across all operational Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet and that no issues were identified during these checks. “Air India will respond to the UK regulator accordingly,” the spokesperson said.
However, a source on Tuesday had said the DGCA is likely to look at various aspects related to the incident, including whether the aircraft VT-ANX could have been grounded at London Heathrow itself rather than operating the flight to Bengaluru.
The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India’s Boeing 787-8 aircraft that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned that fuel supply was cut off soon after take-off.
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