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Indian aviation safety officials are preparing to travel to Seattle to examine the fuel control switch panel developed by Boeing. This panel was removed from an Air India 787 aircraft after pilots reported a potential malfunction during a flight from London to Bengaluru in February. The testing of this panel, deemed sensitive by Indian authorities, focuses on the switches that regulate the flow of jet fuel to the aircraft's engines. This investigation raises new concerns regarding the Dreamliner aircraft, especially as investigators finalize the report on the Air India 787 crash in Gujarat last June, which resulted in the loss of 260 lives.

The switches, designed to remain inactive without pilot intervention, have come under scrutiny following the preliminary accident report, which indicated that they were inadvertently turned off simultaneously, cutting off fuel supply to the engines.

During the incident in London, pilots observed that the fuel switches did not stabilize in the 'run' position during the first two attempts when applying light vertical pressure while starting the engines. However, they stabilized on the third attempt before takeoff. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) of India had previously reported this information. While UK authorities investigated the incident, Boeing privately informed Air India in February that the fuel switch module was found to be functional, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. The DGCA had stated that the switches passed inspection. Nevertheless, the module was sent to Boeing's facility in Seattle for further testing, as indicated in confidential emails that are being published for the first time.

Manish Kumar, Deputy Director of the DGCA, noted in an email on March 9 that the matter is of a sensitive nature, prompting Air India to ensure that the strip/testing inspection occurs in the presence of a DGCA official at the OEM (Boeing) facility. While it is not uncommon for aircraft manufacturers to conduct such analyses for airline clients, the email did not clarify why the Indian regulator deemed the matter sensitive or emphasized the need for oversight. Air India stated that both Boeing and the DGCA confirmed the module was 'fully operational,' but the decision to proceed with further testing was made as a precautionary measure to ensure a comprehensive and conclusive evaluation.