New Delhi: Just 38 hours after the fatal crash of Air India flight AI171 in Ahmedabad, another Air India aircraft experienced a serious safety scare, reports claimed. Flight AI187, a Boeing 777 operating the Delhi-Vienna route on June 14, encountered multiple in-flight warnings during its climb from Indira Gandhi International Airport, prompting the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to initiate a formal investigation, reported the Hindustan Times.
According to the report, the aircraft registered as VT-ALJ received a series of critical alerts including a “stick shaker” stall warning and two “don’t sink” ground proximity alerts shortly after takeoff around 2:56 am. These warnings suggest that the aircraft momentarily lost lift and altitude — reportedly descending 800 to 900 feet below the intended flight path — before pilots were able to recover and continue the journey. The flight landed safely in Vienna after roughly nine hours in the air.
Initially, post-flight documentation only referenced turbulence-induced stick shaker activation, omitting mention of the “don’t sink” warnings. However, upon review of the flight data recorder and subsequent internal reporting, the full extent of the event came to light. The DGCA, alarmed by the proximity of this incident to the June 12 crash involving a Boeing 737, has derostered the cockpit crew pending a full investigation.
Authorities have also summoned Air India’s Head of Safety to explain the sequence of events and to provide detailed data on how the near-stall was handled. Officials are also probing why the critical alerts were not immediately escalated through standard post-flight reporting mechanisms.
While there were no injuries or damage reported aboard flight AI187, aviation experts warn that the combination of stall and terrain proximity alerts in the early climb phase could have led to a catastrophe under different circumstances. The aircraft had been taking off in stormy weather conditions, which may have contributed to the loss of altitude and triggered the stall protection system.
The DGCA is reportedly evaluating whether broader systemic issues exist within the airline’s safety oversight mechanisms. Sources suggest the regulator is also examining the airline’s recent history of flight path deviations, weather-related decision-making, and crew training for stall recovery in widebody jets.
As investigations continue, aviation regulators are expected to scrutinize cockpit voice recordings, maintenance records, and flight crew actions to determine whether protocol deviations or lapses contributed to the incident.
