NEW DELHI (Oct 7) — Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Tuesday said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct a thorough study to determine the root cause behind the uncommanded deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) on an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner operating from Amritsar to Birmingham last week.
The incident occurred on October 4, when the RAT of aircraft VT-ANO deployed seconds before landing in Birmingham. The plane, operating Flight AI117, landed safely, and all systems were later found to be functioning normally.
Naidu said the DGCA will work with relevant stakeholders and manufacturers to identify the cause. “Whenever such incidents happen, DGCA tries to find out the root cause of the problem. Once we understand it, we will reach out to the stakeholders, the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers)… whoever is concerned. We are going to do a thorough study on this,” the minister told reporters in Delhi.
He was speaking after launching the book Above And Beyond – Exploring the Amazing World of Aviation, authored by Shiv Kumar Mohanka, DIG, CISF, and Chief Airport Security Officer, ASG Hyderabad.
The Ram Air Turbine is a critical safety component that automatically deploys during dual engine failure or major electrical or hydraulic system failure to provide emergency power to essential systems.
The incident has sparked fresh safety concerns among pilots, with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) urging the DGCA to conduct comprehensive inspections of all Boeing 787 aircraft operating in India.
The issue has gained added attention in light of the June 12 Air India Dreamliner crash, which killed 260 people. Reports at the time suggested that the RAT might have deployed moments before the crash, raising questions about possible system malfunctions.
On October 5, Air India confirmed the incident and said that “all electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal” and that the aircraft landed safely in Birmingham.
The DGCA’s investigation will now focus on whether the RAT deployment was caused by a mechanical fault, sensor malfunction, or electrical anomaly, officials said.