Emergency RAT deploys on AI flight from Amritsar

Over four months after an Air India Dreamliner crash claimed 260 lives, another aircraft of the same model has triggered a mid-air alarm. A Boeing 787 operating from Amritsar to Birmingham on Saturday suffered an unexpected deployment of its ram air turbine (RAT) during landing, a mechanism meant to activate only when both engines or electrical systems fail.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) began a probe into the incident. The action followed a letter written by the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) to the DGCA, demanding a comprehensive and nationwide inspection of all Dreamliners. The FIP termed the incident “deeply alarming” and a “wake-up call” for the regulator.

The FIP said the malfunction could be “another pointer” to deeper systemic faults that may have contributed to the deadly Air India crash in June.

“The operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on October 4 detected the deployment of RAT during the aircraft’s final approach. All electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham. The aircraft has been grounded for further checks and consequently, the AI114 flight from Birmingham to Delhi has been cancelled and alternative arrangements are being made to accommodate the guests. At Air India, the safety of passengers and crew remains the top priority,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The Dreamliner (registration VT-ANO) was grounded after landing, and its return leg, AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi, was cancelled.

In a letter to the aviation watchdog, the FIP noted that the malfunction occurred when the RAT deployed automatically at around 500 ft on approach to Birmingham. “In this incident, the Aircraft Health Monitoring has picked up a fault of the Bus Power Control Unit, which may have caused the auto deployment of RAT,” the letter stated.

It further stated that the DGCA’s earlier post-crash inspections were superficial and failed to look at the larger electrical issues. The pilots’ body, which represents over 5,500 pilots across airlines, said the incident “must serve as a wake-up call” for the regulator.

This is the second major incident involving the same aircraft model since June 12 when Air India’s Boeing 787 flight AI171 from Ahmedabad crashed shortly after take-off, killing 260 people on board. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing that crash, with initial findings suggesting both engines shut down seconds after lift-off.