NEW DELHI — India’s main pilots’ association has called on the country’s civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners operating domestically after an Air India flight unexpectedly activated an emergency power system midair over the weekend.
The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP), which represents around 6,000 pilots, requested the investigation Sunday evening following the incident aboard Air India flight 117 from Amritsar to Birmingham, England.
The flight’s ram air turbine (RAT) — a small propeller that acts as a backup generator during a loss of power, hydraulic pressure, or electrical failure — deployed moments before the plane landed safely.
Air India, owned by Tata Group, said an initial inspection found that “all electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal,” adding that the aircraft landed without issue.
FIP president Charanvir Singh Randhawa said such an event is “highly unusual” and called for a “detailed inquiry” into the aircraft’s electrical systems.
“I’ve never heard of the RAT system being deployed when there are no problems in the engines, hydraulics or electrical systems,” said Randhawa, a veteran pilot with five decades of experience.
The organization formally notified the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), urging it to inspect all Boeing 787s flying in India to ensure there are no systemic faults.
Neither India’s Civil Aviation Ministry nor Boeing India immediately commented on the matter.
The incident has renewed public concern over Dreamliner safety in India following a fatal Air India crash in June. That flight, bound for London, went down in Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 19 on the ground.
A preliminary report found the aircraft’s engines lost power after fuel control switches were mistakenly moved to the “cutoff” position. The RAT system had deployed correctly during that crash.
The latest episode has prompted calls within India’s aviation community for deeper scrutiny of the Dreamliner fleet’s electrical reliability and safety protocols. — Agencies
