It’s Tuesday afternoon, February 3, 2026, and if you’ve got a flight booked on a Dreamliner, you might want to check the flight status. After a year of “near-misses” and a catastrophic tragedy, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) is officially calling for the immediate grounding of all Boeing 787s in India.
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The thing is, this isn’t a new concern. It’s the climax of a safety war that’s been brewing since last June. Or nothin.
The Dreamliner “Switch” Crisis: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where the pilots are literally fighting the cockpit’s hardware. Here’s the ground reality:
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The Heathrow Trigger: Just yesterday, an Air India 787-8 (VT-ANX) was grounded after landing in Bengaluru. The pilot reported that back at London Heathrow, the left engine fuel control switch refused to stay in the “RUN” position. It kept jumping back to “CUTOFF” on its own. The crew flew it anyway, but the report has set off alarm bells. Those too.
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The Ahmedabad Ghost: This is the big one. On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171 crashed in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people. The preliminary report was haunting—the fuel switches on both engines moved to “CUTOFF” just seconds after takeoff. One pilot was recorded asking, “Why did you cut off?” The other replied, “I didn’t.” * The “Water Seepage” Theory: FIP President Captain CS Randhawa is pointing at the “Main Electronic Bay.” He claims the 787 is prone to water leaks that trigger electrical malfunctions, potentially moving those fuel switches via the TCMA (Thrust Control Malfunction Accommodation) system. He cited a Vienna flight from last year that was grounded because the electrical bay was literally flooded.
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The Boeing Denial: After the June crash, Air India and the DGCA said they inspected the entire fleet and found “no issues.” But this latest Heathrow incident proves the defect is still there. Let’s be real—if a switch can move on its own during startup, it can move at 500 feet after takeoff. And then the grounding demands followed.
Boeing 787: Recent Incident Log (2025-2026)
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| Date | Incident | Aircraft / Flight | Result |
| Feb 1, 2026 | Uncommanded Switch Movement | AI-132 (LHR to BLR) | VT-ANX Grounded |
| June 12, 2025 | Dual Engine Flameout / Crash | AI-171 (AMD to LHR) | 260 Fatalities |
| June 12, 2025 | Electronic Bay Flooding | AI (Vienna to Delhi) | Flight Cancelled (AOG) |
| Oct 4, 2025 | General Electrical Issue | Domestic (India) | FIP writes to MoCA |
And Here’s the Kicker…
Air India’s VP for Flight Operations has already ordered a fleet-wide re-inspection of the 33 Dreamliners. The thing is, they’re checking the “latch” to see if it’s mechanically loose. But the pilots say it’s an electrical ghost in the machine, not just a loose screw. Those too.
One side comment—the US FAA warned about this exact locking mechanism issue back in 2018. It took a crash in Ahmedabad and a near-miss in London for the DGCA to actually take it seriously. It’s a bit messy. Authentic, but terrifying for anyone in the air. It’s an ongoing situation. Or nothing.
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End…
