New Delhi: The Centre has ordered the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to conduct a detailed investigation after an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed unexpectedly during approach to Birmingham airport, despite all systems being normal. The incident occurred on Saturday on flight AI117 operating from Amritsar to Birmingham. According to DGCA officials quoted by Hindustan Times, an officer from the directorate of safety (Northern Region) has been tasked with the probe, and the regulator said the deployment of the RAT “requires detailed investigation.”
The aircraft, registered as VT-ANO, was on final approach at about 500 feet above ground level when the RAT—a backup device that automatically deploys to provide power in the event of electrical failure—unexpectedly activated. However, all electrical and hydraulic parameters were reported to be within normal limits at the time. The flight landed safely in Birmingham, and the aircraft was later grounded for inspection.
In a statement, Air India confirmed that the RAT had deployed mid-air but maintained that no other system anomalies were detected and that operations were otherwise normal. The airline said, “The safety of passengers and crew was never compromised, and the aircraft landed safely.”
Following the incident, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote to the DGCA and the Civil Aviation Ministry urging a thorough check of the electrical systems on all Boeing 787s operating in India. The pilots’ body termed the incident “unusual” and said such a deployment without any recorded system failure warranted a fleet-wide inspection.
The development comes amid heightened scrutiny of aircraft safety standards in India, just months after the June crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad that claimed 260 lives. While there is no indication that the two incidents are linked, the latest episode has prompted renewed concern over technical reliability and oversight mechanisms in the country’s aviation sector.
The RAT, a small turbine that extends into the airstream to generate emergency power during total electrical failure, is designed to deploy only under extreme conditions. Its activation in normal operating mode is considered highly rare, and such incidents are treated as potential red flags for underlying system issues. The DGCA’s investigation will examine flight data, maintenance logs, and crew reports to determine the cause and recommend corrective action. Officials said other Dreamliners in the Indian fleet may also be subjected to detailed system checks following the probe’s findings.
