Air India Confirms Ram Air Turbine Deployment Not Due to Fault or Pilot Action in Dreamliner Incident

Air India stated that the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployment on its Dreamliner aircraft on 4 October was not due to any system malfunction or pilot error. The RAT, typically used during engine failures, activated just before landing at Birmingham Airport. The aircraft, arriving from Amritsar, landed safely. This conclusion comes from preliminary investigations conducted by the airline.

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The airline reported that the RAT's activation was uncommanded, aligning with similar incidents experienced by other airlines, as noted by Boeing. "Based on the conclusions from our preliminary investigations, the deployment of the RAT was neither due to a system fault nor pilot action," Air India mentioned in a statement released a week after the incident.

Dreamliner Fleet Concerns

The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has urged the civil aviation ministry to ground Air India's entire Dreamliner fleet. They recommend inspecting their electrical systems and conducting a special audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This call for action followed Air India's statement on 5 October regarding the RAT incident.

Air India confirmed that it had informed the DGCA about the occurrence and submitted a preliminary report in line with regulatory guidelines. The airline also mentioned that during flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham, all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal despite the RAT deployment.

Recent Technical Issues

On 9 October, FIP highlighted another incident involving Air India flight AI154 from Vienna to Delhi. The flight diverted to Dubai due to significant technical problems. Both this flight and the one on 4 October involved Boeing 787 aircraft, commonly referred to as Dreamliners.

The aircraft involved in the Birmingham incident was grounded for further inspection but was cleared for service and flew from Birmingham to Delhi on 5 October. "At no point during the flight was there any loss of power or control systems," Air India assured in their statement.

Historical Context

In a tragic event on 12 June, an Air India Dreamliner operating flight AI171 to London Gatwick crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, resulting in 260 fatalities. This incident underscores ongoing concerns about Dreamliner safety and operational reliability.

The recent events have heightened scrutiny over Air India's Dreamliner operations. The airline continues to work closely with regulatory bodies to ensure safety and compliance with aviation standards. These steps are crucial for maintaining passenger confidence and operational integrity.

With inputs from PTI