DGCA Launches Probe After Ram Air Turbine Deployed Mid-Air on Air India Flight

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday announced an investigation following the unexpected deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) on an Air India flight.

A DGCA official told HT, “The matter requires detailed investigation. An officer from the Directorate of Air Safety (NR) has been assigned to this case.” The RAT system is an emergency mechanism that automatically activates when an aircraft loses power.

UK-Bound Air India Flight Experiences Mid-Air Scare
On Saturday, an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying from Amritsar, Punjab, to Birmingham, UK, encountered a serious scare as the RAT deployed unexpectedly during landing.

Air India stated, “The operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on 4 October 2025 detected deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) during its final approach. All electrical and hydraulic parameters were normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham.”

The plane was safely landed and subsequently grounded for inspection. Following the incident, the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) wrote to the DGCA requesting a comprehensive review of the electrical systems of all Boeing 787 aircraft operating in India.

Captain CS Randhawa of FIP told ANI, “We have written to Manish Kumar, in charge of air safety at DGCA, copying DG DGCA, DG AAIB, and the Secretary of Civil Aviation. The incident occurred on 4 October on Boeing 787 VT-ANO. The RAT was deployed at just 500 feet, which is highly unusual unless the aircraft experiences engine failure.”

This incident comes months after the June crash of an Air India flight in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. The sole survivor was a British national.