Overview
- Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority requested a detailed maintenance account, a root‑cause analysis and a preventive plan, warning of possible regulatory action if the reply falls short.
- On Feb 1 at Heathrow, the left engine’s fuel control switch twice failed to stay in the RUN position during start before latching on a third attempt; the flight continued to Bengaluru where the aircraft was grounded for checks.
- India’s DGCA said inspections found the switch lock met design specifications and pointed to incorrect operation as a possible factor, while Air India’s fleet‑wide rechecks reported no defects and Boeing is cooperating.
- Air India has opened an internal investigation into whether procedures were followed and why the issue was not reported to authorities in London before departure.
- Safety advocates and pilot groups urged the AAIB to secure evidence and cautioned that public assurances about the component could prejudice the ongoing Dreamliner crash investigation.