Air India Flight AI 2379 Suffered 300-Foot Drop After 9 Hydraulic Warnings
Updated
Updated · The Hindu · Aug 10
Air India Flight AI 2379 Suffered 300-Foot Drop After 9 Hydraulic Warnings
3 articles · Updated · The Hindu · Aug 10
Summary
Nine warning messages hit Air India flight AI 2379 within one minute before the A320neo dropped about 300 feet on Aug. 4, injuring 17 people, sources familiar with the probe said.
Hydraulic failures affecting all three systems in varying combinations were followed by an autopilot disconnect and simultaneous faults on both elevators, contradicting Air India's initial attribution of the incident to turbulence.
One pilot took manual control after the aircraft pitched up and a stall warning sounded; investigators are examining whether strong recovery inputs contributed to the sudden altitude loss before the systems stabilized.
Delhi-bound pilots chose not to divert from the Phuket route, citing better medical care for injured passengers and stronger engineering support at destination, while the AAIB classified the episode as a serious incident.
Airbus specialists are due to join Indian and French investigators, while confirmatory testing is pending after the pilot-in-command's psychoactive substance screening and pilot unions urged restraint over speculation.