New Delhi: An Air India 787 Dreamliner was grounded after one of its fuel switches moved from “run” to “cut-off” without the required lift action twice during pre-flight checks. The incident occurred on flight AI-132 that was scheduled to fly from London’s Heathrow airport to Bangalore on February 1.The fuel switch on a 787 Dreamliner needs to be lifted before it can be moved between “run” and “cut-off”. This safeguard is meant to prevent accidental engine shutdown. However, when a crew member aboard AI-132 pressed the switch to check if it was locked, the switch moved without lifting.After failing to lock in position twice, the switch did not move a third time without being lifted. The aircraft then departed Heathrow at 9:40 pm and was grounded after landing in Bangalore.The incident has challenged the presumption that the Ahmedabad crash on June 12, 2025, which involved the same type of aircraft, was the result of manual pilot action.Technical failure possible in fuel switch movementA senior commander quoted by the Times of India said, “The London incident directly challenges the assumption that fuel switch movement in the Air India crash was manual. Until now, the cut-off transition was treated as near-conclusive evidence of pilot action. The London event shows that uncommanded switch behaviour, through mechanical detent failure, signal corruption or other causes, is a credible failure mode.That places the DGCA’s earlier claim of fleet clearance under sharp scrutiny, as a defect appearing months later suggests inspections may have been visual, non-diagnostic, or incomplete. For the AAIB, the implication is clear: fuel cutoff can no longer be equated with intent, the investigation must widen to fleet-level and component analysis, and attribution of deliberate pilot action without fully eliminating system anomalies is no longer defensible.”Also read: Quality Concerns in Dreamliners That Boeing Sold to Air India Had Given a Manager NightmaresIn a preliminary report released in July last year, India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) had found that both the fuel switches on the Ahmedabad Dreamliner had moved from “run” to “cut off” seconds after takeoff.According to the report, one of the pilots had asked the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the latter had responded saying that he hadn’t done so.The report also said that no technical or design flaws had been found in the investigations, implying that manual pilot action could have been responsible for the crash, which killed 260 people including 241 of the 242 people on board. The report had prompted widespread criticism from pilot bodies.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had subsequently ordered an inspection of the fuel switch locking system. While Air India, after completing these inspections, had said that it had not found any faults in the system, the London incident has challenged these findings.Air safety expert Capt Amit Singh told the paper, “The London incident is particularly concerning because in 2018 the US aviation regulator cautioned that fuel control switches on Boeing 787s could malfunction and lead to inadvertent engine shutdown. Occurring after Air India said its fleet’s fuel control switches have been checked, and amid the ongoing June 12 B787 crash investigation, it raises serious questions about inspection adequacy and demands the highest level of regulatory scrutiny.”Aircraft groundedAir India on Monday grounded the aircraft after an internal report filed by its pilot.“We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, 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,” Air India said.Boeing said that it was in contact with Air India and was supporting their review of the incident.