Urgent Call to Ground All Boeing 787s Over Electrical Faults, Warns Pilots' Body

His remarks follow the grounding of an Air India Boeing 787-8, earlier in the day, after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch.

"From day one after the AI-171 crash, we have been insisting that all B-787s be checked for electrical systems. We have gone on record in the media and written letters to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the DGCA that fuel control switches may have moved automatically due to electrical malfunctions of TCMA in the AI-161 crash," Randhawa said to ANI.

He highlighted the risk of water seepage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can trigger electrical failures.

"The B-787-800 is also prone to water seepage/leakage into the main electronic bay of the aircraft, which can cause electrical malfunctions. On June 12, 2025, an Air India flight from Vienna to Delhi was declared AOG on the ground at Vienna due to flooding of the electrical bay. Passengers were deplaned immediately to avoid any accident," he said.

Randhawa also cited a 2019 incident involving All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing flight NH-985 in Osaka, where both engines rolled back due to a similar fault, though the aircraft landed safely.

"An ANA All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-8, registration JA825A, performing flight NH-985 from Tokyo Haneda to Osaka Itami (Japan) with 109 passengers and 9 crew, landed on Itami's runway 32L, touched down, and the crew deployed the thrust reversers when both engines (Trent 1000) rolled back and shut down. The aircraft rolled out without further incident, came to a stop about 2450 meters/8030 feet down the runway and was disabled. The aircraft was towed off the runway about 40 minutes after landing," he said.

Speaking on the incident, he said, "Today again history has repeated at Heathrow, where the left fuel control switch was cutting off after moving the switch to run during start. Also, we have been insisting that all B-787s be grounded and checked for the electrical systems."

Earlier in the day, an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft was grounded after a pilot reported a possible defect in the fuel control switch. An Air India spokesperson said that one of its pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft, and the matter has been communicated to DGCA, the country's aviation regulator.

The spokesperson said the airline is engaging the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to get the pilot's concerns checked on priority.

"We are aware that one of our 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. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, an Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crashed on June 12, soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad. The accident killed 260 people, including 229 passengers, 12 crew members, and 19 people on the ground.

A preliminary investigation into the crash revealed that just seconds before the aircraft lost power and went down near Ahmedabad airport, one pilot asked the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines. The second pilot reportedly said he "did not do so."

The report mentioned that both engines of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner shut down one second apart shortly after takeoff. This caused the aircraft to lose altitude rapidly and crash near the boundary of the airport.

- ANI