DGCA Probes Unexpected RAT Deployment on Air India Flight to Birmingham

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing a significant safety issue involving an Air India flight to Birmingham, UK. The aircraft, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, unexpectedly deployed its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) just before landing on October 4. This system is typically activated during engine or electrical failures.

While the plane landed safely, the DGCA has launched an investigation into the incident involving aircraft VT-ANO on flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has called for a comprehensive examination of the electrical systems in all Boeing 787 aircraft in India.

Understanding RAT in Aircraft

The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is designed to deploy automatically if there is a dual engine failure or issues with electrical, electronic, or hydraulic systems. It harnesses wind speed to generate emergency power for the aircraft's essential functions.

Currently, Air India operates 33 Boeing 787s, also known as Dreamliners. IndiGo also leases and operates this type of aircraft. The significance of this incident is heightened by a previous crash involving an Air India Dreamliner on June 12, which resulted in 260 fatalities shortly after takeoff.

Details from DGCA and Airlines

A senior DGCA official stated that the RAT was deployed at around 400 feet during landing, but no abnormalities were reported by the pilot. "The maintenance actions for uncommanded RAT deployment recommended by Boeing have been carried out and no discrepancy were observed," said the official, adding that the aircraft has been cleared for service.

On October 5, an Air India spokesperson confirmed that the crew detected RAT deployment during the final approach of flight AI117. "All electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham," they stated without disclosing passenger numbers.

Pilots' Concerns Over Safety

The FIP expressed concerns about safety in a letter to the DGCA on October 5. They mentioned that RAT was automatically deployed at approximately 500 feet during approach due to a fault detected by Aircraft Health Monitoring (AHM) in the Bus Power Control Unit (BPCU). BPCU oversees an aircraft's electrical power system.

"There have been numerous incidents on B787 aircraft," noted FIP. They have urged thorough checks of all B787 electrical systems in India following these incidents and particularly after the Air India 171 crash. Post-crash investigations by DGCA focused only on fuel control switches rather than broader electrical systems.

Boeing has not commented on this latest incident involving an Air India plane as per PTI reports. The situation remains under close scrutiny as authorities work to ensure aviation safety standards are upheld across all operations involving Boeing 787s in India.