New Delhi, Feb 2 (UNI) An Air India pilot on Monday grounded a Boeing 787-8 aircraft after reporting a malfunction in its fuel switch.
Sources said the pilot had operated flight AI 132 from London to Bengaluru. After the aircraft landed at Bengaluru airport, the pilot reported a defect in the fuel switch.
An Air India spokesperson said, “We are aware that one of our pilots reported a potential malfunction in the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Following this preliminary information, the aircraft concerned has been taken out of service.”
The statement said the airline would get the issue examined on a priority basis in coordination with the aircraft manufacturer. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has also been informed about the matter.
It may be recalled that the preliminary investigation into the aircraft accident that occurred in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on June 12 last year found that the engines did not receive fuel due to the fuel control switch being in the ‘off’ position.
The crashed aircraft was also a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Flight AI 171 had taken off for London but began losing altitude soon after takeoff and crashed into a government medical college hostel building.
A total of 241 people on board, including crew members, were killed in the accident. Nineteen people on the ground also lost their lives.
The spokesperson noted that following the Ahmedabad crash, “all Boeing 787 aircraft of Air India were inspected for fuel control switch issues as per DGCA directions, but no defect was found.”
