2 hrs ago
AAIB Flags Hydraulic Failure and Pilot Drug Test
An Air India plane flying from Phuket to Delhi suddenly lost all three of its hydraulic systems while high in the sky.
These systems help control important parts of the airplane.
The autopilot switched off, and the plane moved up and down unexpectedly.
The systems started working again within seconds, and the pilots regained normal control.
The plane landed safely in Delhi.
Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members were hurt because the seatbelt signs were off.
Investigators are studying both the airplane’s technical problem and the pilots’ post-flight test results.
The pilot-in-command had a non-negative confirmatory test, while the co-pilot tested negative.
The investigation is not finished, and the report does not say that the test caused the aircraft problem.
An Air India Airbus A320 operating from Phuket to Delhi briefly lost its green, blue and yellow hydraulic systems at 36,000 feet on August 4.
The failure disconnected the autopilot, triggered a brief stall warning, and caused the aircraft to climb 372 feet before descending 292 feet.
Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members were injured; reports differ on hospitalization details, with one account saying four were hospitalized and another saying 17 of 24 injured people were hospitalized.
The pilot-in-command’s confirmatory test was reported as non-negative for a psychoactive substance, while the co-pilot tested negative; the AAIB did not specify the substance in its report.
The aircraft landed safely in Delhi, while investigators examine the hydraulic failure, a prior PTU-related MEL item, flight data, maintenance records and other operational factors.
- Who
- An Air India Airbus A320 carrying 137 passengers, six cabin crew members and two pilots.
- What
- The aircraft experienced a brief, near-simultaneous loss of all three hydraulic systems, an altitude upset and cabin injuries.
- Where
- The flight traveled from Phuket to Delhi and experienced the event in the Kolkata Flight Information Region; it landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
- When
- August 4, at approximately 09:32 India time, during cruise at 36,000 feet.
- Why
- The definitive cause has not been established. Investigators are examining the hydraulic failure, the aircraft’s maintenance history and other technical and operational factors.
Initial Account
AAIB Preliminary Findings
What caused the aircraft movement?
Initial Account
The government and Air India initially attributed the incident to severe turbulence.
AAIB Preliminary Findings
The AAIB report noted that neither the pilots nor air traffic control reported adverse weather and focused on the brief triple hydraulic failure and other factors.
Interpretation of the pilot test
Initial Account
Some headlines and reports described the pilot-in-command as testing positive, and one account identified the substance as marijuana.
AAIB Preliminary Findings
The AAIB’s detailed wording says the pilot-in-command’s confirmatory test was non-negative; the report did not identify the substance or establish that it affected the flight. The co-pilot tested negative.
Operational status of the aircraft
Initial Account
The aircraft had been dispatched with a known inoperative Power Transfer Unit under a Minimum Equipment List provision, a regulated process that the reports said is not itself a safety violation.
AAIB Preliminary Findings
Investigators are examining whether the PTU-related MEL item, along with other hydraulic components and maintenance records, is relevant to the triple-system failure; no connection has been established.
Key facts
- Flight
- Air India flight A12379, also identified in reports as AI-2379, from Phuket to Delhi
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320/A320neo, registration VT-EXO
- People on board
- 145: 137 passengers, six cabin crew members and two pilots
- Hydraulic event
- Green, blue and yellow systems were lost within seconds and recovered shortly afterward
- Altitude change
- The aircraft climbed 372 feet and then descended 292 feet from flight level 360
- Injuries
- Twenty passengers and four cabin crew members were injured; hospitalization figures vary among reports
- Investigation status
- The AAIB preliminary report identified no definitive cause; technical analysis and the final report remain pending
Quotes
Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
India’s aircraft accident investigation authority conducting the preliminary inquiry
“Following the incident, Air India has started voluntary testing of 100% of its pilots as a further step to reinforce its safety-first approach.”
indianexpress.com
“The confirmation of use of psycho-active substance is a serious concern and AAIB recommends appropriate actions by DGCA on priority.”
rediff.com
Sources
AI Phuket fiasco: AAIB report flags hydraulic failure, pilot's drug test
Air India Phuket-Delhi incident: AAIB initial report flags hydraulic failure, pilot’s drug test
Air India Phuket flight suffered triple hydraulic failure; AAIB flags pilot’s drug test
Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight probe: Preliminary report reveals hydraulic failure and pilot's positive drug test
Air India Phuket-Delhi flight drop incident: Co-pilot tests positive for psychoactive substance, says probe
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