The UK aviation regulator has launched an investigation into Air India's recent incident involving a Boeing Dreamliner plane. The plane, which had just arrived from London, was grounded in India for safety checks after pilots reported a fuel switch issue during engine start. This incident has raised concerns, especially given the history of fuel control switches in aviation disasters. In 2022, an Air India crash in western India, involving a similar issue, resulted in the deaths of 241 people, making it one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent memory. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has now formally requested a detailed report from Air India, demanding an explanation for why the plane was cleared to fly despite the issue. The regulator is also seeking a comprehensive root-cause analysis and a preventive action plan to ensure the issue does not recur. This comes after Air India claimed to have completed a precautionary re-inspection of the fuel control switches, finding no issues. However, the aviation authority has warned of potential regulatory action if the airline does not provide a complete response within a week. Boeing has stated it is cooperating with Air India on the incident, and an internal memo confirms that all fuel switches on their Boeing 787s have been checked without any issues found. The preliminary report into the 2022 crash suggests that the fuel control switches flipped from 'run' to 'cutoff' almost simultaneously within three seconds of takeoff, starving the engines. The investigation is ongoing, and the public awaits further details to understand the full extent of the issue and any potential consequences.
