Air India pilot reports possible defect in Dreamliner fuel control switch
New Delhi (PTI): An Air India pilot on Monday flagged a possible defect with the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, and the matter has been reported to aviation watchdog DGCA.
The aircraft operated the flight AI132 from London to Bengaluru, and it landed at Bengaluru on Monday morning, according to sources.
In a statement, the airline said it is aware that one of its pilots has 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 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 statement said.
The incident assumes significance against the backdrop of concerns in certain quarters about the functioning of the fuel control switch in the ill-fated Air India Dreamliner that crashed in June last year.
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.
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Two die in Kerala of suspected food poisoning after eating at Vizhinjam eatery
Thiruvananthapuram/Kollam (PTI): Two members of a family died near Nilamel in Kollam a day ago in a suspected case of food poisoning after dining at a restaurant in Vizhinjam, police said on Tuesday.
Two other members of the same family are currently undergoing treatment, police said, adding that the restaurant in question has been sealed and food safety officials will soon carry out an inspection there.
Later in the day, State Health Minister Veena George said she had asked the Food Safety Commissioner and the Director of Health Services to look into the matter as soon as she saw news reports about the incident.
Following this, food safety officers reached the eatery and carried out inspections, she said, adding that their report is awaited.
"As per news reports, the victims had fish. So, it has to be ascertained whether anyone else who ate fish there is unwell. At present, we cannot confirm that the deaths were due to food poisoning. This can be determined only after detailed tests," the minister told reporters.
Earlier in the morning, police said that several hundred people had eaten at the same restaurant on Monday night, but there have been no other complaints of anyone falling ill.
"So, the exact cause of death can be known only after the post-mortem. The family said the problem occurred after they ate at the restaurant," an officer of the Vizhinjam police station said.
The family hails from Nilamel near Chadayamangalam in Kollam district.
A case of unnatural death has been registered by the Chadayamangalam police, the officer added.
