Air India grounds dreamliner

An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was grounded on Monday after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch, days after the airline faced scrutiny over last June’s deadly Dreamliner crash. Flight AI132, operating from London to Bengaluru, landed safely with over 200 passengers on board. Sources said the left engine fuel control switch failed to remain in the ‘RUN’ position during engine start and moved toward ‘CUT OFF’, used to shut down engines. Safety Matters Foundation warned that such a malfunction could, under specific conditions, cause an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight. It is unclear when during the flight the issue was noticed. Air India said it notified the DGCA, grounded the aircraft, and involved the Original Equipment Manufacturer (Boeing) for urgent checks. Boeing confirmed its support for the review. The airline had previously checked all 33 Dreamliners in its fleet after a DGCA directive, finding no issues. The incident revives concerns over last year’s crash that killed 260 people, when fuel supply to both engines was cut off shortly after take-off, according to the AAIB preliminary report.