The Air India flight travelling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 briefly lost control after all three of its hydraulic systems showed signs of failure, according to the initial findings from the aircraft’s Digital Flight Data Recorder, commonly known as the black box. Airbus said the flight controls of Air India flight AI 2379 stopped responding normally for about four seconds. During this time, the aircraft suddenly dropped by around 300 feet.
The Airbus A320 was carrying 137 passengers when the incident happened. Twenty passengers and four members of the cabin crew suffered serious injuries. Seventeen people were taken to hospital for treatment.
The aircraft was flying from Phuket to Delhi when it suddenly lost altitude, causing panic and injuries inside the cabin.
Air India had earlier said that the aircraft encountered severe turbulence during the flight. However, the initial black box analysis by Airbus points to a brief loss of flight control after problems were recorded in all three hydraulic systems.
The investigation is still underway, and authorities are expected to examine the aircraft’s systems and flight data in greater detail to determine exactly what caused the hydraulic failures and the sudden loss of altitude.
Airbus, which made the aircraft, is helping India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) examine the incident. France’s aviation accident investigation agency is also assisting with the probe.
In its early findings, Airbus said the aircraft recorded a “full nose-down input” when it suddenly lost altitude. In simple terms, the aircraft received a command that pushed its nose downward, causing it to tilt towards the ground.
Airbus has also acknowledged that there were technical problems linked to the incident. The company has asked Air India to carry out a detailed inspection of the aircraft to find out what caused the problem.
Investigators are now studying the aircraft’s systems and flight data to understand why all three hydraulic systems showed losses and why the aircraft briefly lost control.
The investigation is still in its early stages, and the final cause of the incident will be known only after the detailed probe is completed.
A report accessed by NDTV has revealed more details about the four-second loss of control on the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight. According to the report, the aircraft’s ailerons and elevators moved on their own during those few seconds, even though neither pilot had given a command to move them. These parts of the aircraft help control its direction and movement in the air.
The situation became more serious when the plane’s autopilot switched off. The co-pilot, who was flying the aircraft at the time, then pushed the control stick forward.
The report said the move came after the aircraft’s systems were believed to have issued stall warnings inside the cockpit. A stall warning alerts pilots that the aircraft may be losing enough speed or lift to remain safely in the air.
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