New Delhi, Feb 2 (PTI) An Air India pilot on Monday reported a defect with the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 plane after operating the flight from London Heathrow to Bengaluru, and the airline has grounded the aircraft for checks, according to sources.

The functioning of the fuel control switch is in focus following the crash of Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, or Dreamliner, that killed 260 people last June, as the preliminary probe report mentioned about fuel supply being cut off soon after take-off.

The sources said that after landing at Bengaluru on Monday morning, the pilot recorded in the defect log book that the left engine fuel switch slipped from 'RUN' to 'CUT OFF' and that it was not getting locked in its position.

'RUN' and 'CUT OFF' are used to start or shut down engines, respectively.

The aircraft operated the flight AI132 from London to Bengaluru, and it landed at Bengaluru on Monday morning. There were more than 200 people on board, the sources said.

Air India on Monday said it was aware that one of its pilots had 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 (Original Equipment Manufacturer) 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," the airline said in a statement.

According to pilots' grouping FIP, the malfunctioning of the fuel control switch might have happened at London Heathrow itself.

In a statement, Boeing said it was in contact with Air India and was supporting their review of this matter.

There was no immediate comment from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) said it has been insisting on checking the electrical systems of Dreamliners after the AI171 crash.

In a statement, FIP, which is also party to a litigation related to AI171 crash, listed various incidents involving the Dreamliners.

"Today again history has repeated at Heathrow where the left fuel control switch was cutting off after moving the switch to run during start. Also, we have been insisting that all B-787 be grounded and checked for the electrical systems," it said.

Not-for-profit group Safety Matters Foundation on Monday said that during the operation of the flight, the crew reported abnormal behaviour of the left engine fuel control switch of the aircraft.

"During engine start, the switch failed to remain locked in the RUN position on two attempts, moving towards CUT OFF -- a malfunction that could, under specific conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight," it claimed in a statement.

The foundation has also sought re-evaluation of the precautionary checks that were done on the Dreamliners and also urged DGCA to determine whether it was a fleet-wide issue.

Fuel switches regulate the flow of fuel into an aircraft's engines. The switch has two positions -- 'RUN' and 'CUT OFF' -- and is used to start or shut down engines.

The position of a fuel switch cannot be changed accidentally, and there is a procedure in place.

The fuel switches are generally guarded with brackets so that there are no accidental movements. The switches have to be first pulled up before changing their position, the pilot said.

In a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the fuel switches are located under the thrust levers.

In one of the worst aircraft accidents in India, a total of 260 people, including 241 passengers, died after Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed soon after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12, 2025.

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the crash.

In its preliminary report on the crash that was released on July 12 last year, AAIB said the fuel supply to both engines of the plane was cut off within a gap of one second, causing confusion in the cockpit soon after take-off.

"In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cut off. The other pilot responded that he did not do so," it had said.

Currently, Air India has 33 Boeing 787s -- 26 legacy Boeing 787-8s and 7 Boeing 787-9s, including 6 from Vistara and the new one.

In 2025, Boeing delivered 14 Boeing 787s to various airlines, including 12 Boeing 787-9s. PTI RAM IAS HVA