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Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner formation from London to Bengaluru which reported a substance power control glitch, took disconnected connected Sunday (February 1, 2026) aft the unit carried retired a carnal cheque of the power and recovered nary abnormal parameters during commencement of the motor oregon thereafter, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
The substance power control of the near motor of the Dreamliner craft VT-ANX, which operated the formation AI132 that had much than 200 radical connected board, did not latch connected the 'RUN' presumption doubly during the motor commencement astatine London Heathrow airport, but was decently locked successful the 'RUN' presumption connected the 3rd attempt.
The elaborate connection from the aviation regulator explaining the sequences related to the Dreamliner came against the backdrop of concerns successful definite quarters implicit the craft operating the formation contempt the substance power control issue.
Air India has started inspection of the substance power switches of its Boeing 787 fleet pursuing the incident, sources person said.
At present, Air India has 33 Boeing 787 aircraft.
Air India’s Senior Vice President for Flight Operations, Manish Uppal, has told Boeing 787 pilots that the hose has initiated a fleet-wide re-inspection of the aircraft’s substance power switches and the airline’s engineering squad has escalated the substance to Boeing for precedence evaluation, according to sources.
“In the interim, portion we await Boeing’s response, our engineers – retired of an abundance of caution – person initiated precautionary fleet-wide re-inspection of the Fuel Control Switch (FCS) latch to verify mean operations,” helium said successful an email connected Tuesday.
The DGCA, successful its statement, besides advised Air India to circulate the process recommended by Boeing for the cognition of substance 'CUT OFF' power to its unit members.
Regarding formation AI132, the DGCA said that nary abnormal motor parameters, cautions, warnings, oregon related strategy messages were observed during motor commencement oregon astatine immoderate clip thereafter.
"During motor commencement successful London, connected 2 occasions unit observed that the substance power control did not stay positively latched successful the "RUN" presumption erstwhile airy vertical unit was applied. On the 3rd attempt, the power latched correctly successful 'RUN' and subsequently remained stable. Before continuing with the remainder of procedure, a carnal verification was performed by the unit to corroborate that the power was afloat and positively latched successful the 'RUN' position," the DGCA said successful the statement.
"The operating unit subordinate was briefed connected the observation, unnecessary interaction with the power was avoided, and motor indications and alerting systems were intimately monitored by the unit for the remainder of the flight. The formation was completed without incident," the connection said.
'RUN' and 'CUT OFF' are utilized to commencement oregon unopen down engines, respectively.
After the incidental was reported, Air India's engineering squad made definite observations based connected Boeing-recommended checks to found the serviceability of substance power switch.
Citing the team's observations, DGCA said some the near and close switches were checked and recovered satisfactory, with the locking tooth/pawl afloat seated and not slipping from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF'.
"When afloat unit was applied parallel to the basal plate, the power remained secure. However, applying outer unit successful an incorrect absorption caused the power to determination easy from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF', owed to the angular basal sheet allowing gaffe erstwhile pressed improperly with digit oregon thumb," DGCA said quoting the engineering team's observations.
On the ground of Boeing's communication, DGCA said the pull-to-unlock unit was checked connected the substance power control utilizing the recommended process connected the progressive substance chopped disconnected switch, the substance power portion to beryllium installed and substance chopped disconnected power of different aircraft.
"In each cases the pull-to-unlock unit was recovered wrong limits. These inspections were carried retired successful the beingness of DGCA officers," the connection said.
An Air India aviator connected Monday reported the defect with the substance power control aft the craft landed successful Bengaluru. The hose has grounded the level for checks.
The functioning of the substance power control is successful absorption pursuing the clang of Air India's Boeing 787-8 craft successful Ahmedabad that killed 260 radical past June, arsenic the preliminary probe study mentioned astir substance proviso being chopped disconnected soon aft take-off.
This came against the backdrop of a video, which the DGCA said has demonstrated the process for operating the substance 'CUT OFF' power was incorrect.
An Air India aviator has reported an lawsuit of a substance power malfunction connected a Boeing 787-8 craft that operated a formation from London to Bengaluru, landing connected February 2, 2026.
An Air India aviator has reported an lawsuit of a substance power malfunction connected a Boeing 787-8 craft that operated a formation from London to Bengaluru, landing connected February 2, 2026. | Video Credit: The Hindu
