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Air India’s A320neo lost all three hydraulic systems during a Phuket-Delhi flight on August 4, leaving 24 people injured and the cabin damaged, an AAIB preliminary report said. 4 Min Read (Photo Credit : Reuters ) The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has released its preliminary report into the August 4 incident involving an Air India Airbus A320neo operating flight AI 2379 from Phuket to Delhi, detailing a sudden sequence of hydraulic system failures and an altitude upset that left several passengers and cabin crew injured. The Airbus A320-251N, registered VT-EXO, was carrying 145 people — including 137 passengers, six cabin crew members and two pilots — when the incident occurred while the aircraft was cruising at FL360 in the Kolkata Flight Information Region. According to the preliminary report, the aircraft took off from Phuket at 01:41 UTC and was operating normally until the incident at around 04:02 UTC.
At 04:02:43 UTC, the aircraft’s flight control system detected a loss of the green hydraulic system. Within seconds, failures in the blue and yellow hydraulic systems were also detected. The autopilot disengaged shortly afterwards, and a continuous repetitive chime sounded, followed by a brief stall warning.
The AAIB said the aircraft subsequently experienced an altitude upset. During the event, it initially gained 372 feet before descending 292 feet from its assigned flight level. The blue hydraulic system recovered shortly after the incident, followed by the yellow and green systems.
The aircraft’s flight control surfaces subsequently recovered and normal operations resumed. Airbus had earlier flagged the seriousness of the hydraulic-system event in its initial technical assessment of the incident. The manufacturer found that the aircraft had registered losses in all three hydraulic systems in quick succession, leaving key flight-control surfaces, including the elevators and ailerons, unresponsive for about four seconds.
The AAIB report said that, at the time of the event, the seat belt signs were switched off. Some passengers and cabin crew suffered injuries during the incident. The flight crew assessed the situation and decided to continue to Delhi rather than divert to the nearest airport.
The aircraft later requested medical priority from Delhi ATC and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 05:30 UTC. A total of 24 people — 20 passengers and four cabin crew members — received medical assistance. Twenty were discharged after treatment for minor injuries, while four people with serious injuries were hospitalised.
The preliminary report also noted damage inside the aircraft cabin, including cracked and dislodged ceiling panels, damaged passenger service units, broken handrails, dislodged overhead bins and a lavatory commode that was uprooted from its original position. Aircraft was operating under an existing MEL The AAIB report said that before departure from Phuket, the aircraft underwent a pre-flight inspection and no fresh discrepancies were recorded. However, the aircraft had been dispatched under an already invoked Minimum Equipment List (MEL) item relating to the Power Transfer Unit (PTU), which had been invoked on July 28.
Relevant hydraulic components have since been removed from the aircraft for further analysis. The flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder have also been recovered, and their data is being examined by the investigation team. The report added that no adverse weather was reported by either the flight crew or air traffic control at the time of the event.
AAIB flags serious concern over PIC’s test result A significant aspect of the preliminary report relates to the post-flight medical examination of the pilots. The AAIB said both pilots underwent breathalyser examinations on arrival in Delhi, with the results found to be satisfactory. However, during psychoactive substance detection testing, the sample of the Pilot-in-Command (PIC) was found to be non-negative.
The AAIB said blood samples from both pilots were subsequently sent for confirmatory testing. The confirmatory test report for the PIC was also found to be non-negative, while the co-pilot’s samples were found to be negative. In its interim safety recommendation, the AAIB said the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) should take appropriate action to prevent the abuse of psychoactive substances.
The bureau described the confirmation of psychoactive substance use as a “serious concern” and recommended that the regulator take appropriate action on priority. The AAIB stressed that the report is preliminary and that the detailed investigation into the technical and other aspects of the incident is still underway. The final report will be published after the investigation is completed. (Edited by : Vivek Dubey)
Source: CNBC TV18
