An Air India Airbus A320 operating a flight from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 experienced a critical failure, losing all three of its hydraulic systems while cruising at 36,000 feet. The incident, which triggered an autopilot disconnect and a brief stall warning, resulted in 24 people sustaining injuries, with four requiring hospitalization.
According to a preliminary report from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the aircraft’s green, blue, and yellow hydraulic systems lost pressure within seconds of each other. Although the systems recovered shortly thereafter, allowing the flight to continue to Delhi and land safely, the sudden movement caught passengers and cabin crew off guard as seatbelt signs were reportedly switched off.
Mid-Air Incident Details
Flight AI 2379, an Airbus A320-251N registered VT-EXO, departed Phuket with 137 passengers and eight crew members. While climbing to 36,000 feet, at approximately 9:32 am IST, the green hydraulic system reported a pressure loss. Within four seconds, the blue and yellow systems also indicated pressure loss. This rapid sequence led to an immediate autopilot disconnection, followed by a two-second stall warning. The aircraft initially climbed 372 feet before descending 292 feet from its assigned altitude.
The blue hydraulic system was the first to recover, quickly followed by the yellow and green systems, restoring normal flight controls. Despite the recovery, the cabin supervisor informed the cockpit crew of multiple injuries among passengers and crew.
Injuries and Extensive Cabin Damage
Upon landing safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 11:00 am, medical teams attended to 24 individuals. Twenty passengers and four crew members received treatment, with 20 discharged for minor injuries and four hospitalized for more serious conditions.
Investigators documented extensive damage within the aircraft cabin, including cracked ceiling panels, dislodged overhead-bin doors, broken handrails, damaged passenger-service-unit panels, a broken emergency-exit handle, and a lavatory commode that had been uprooted from its position.
Pilot-in-Command Flagged for Psychoactive Substance
The preliminary AAIB report also revealed that the pilot-in-command’s post-flight medical test indicated a non-negative result for a psychoactive substance. While both pilots passed breathalyzer tests and the co-pilot tested negative for psychoactive substances, the pilot-in-command’s initial sample and subsequent blood test confirmed the non-negative finding. The AAIB clarified that this finding has not yet been linked to the hydraulic failure or altitude deviation incident. The bureau has recommended that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) take appropriate action to prevent the abuse of psychoactive substances.
Ongoing Investigation into Technical Failure
The AAIB’s investigation is ongoing, focusing on the hydraulic system failure, the aircraft’s maintenance history, and other operational factors. Investigators noted that the aircraft had been operating under a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) item related to its Power Transfer Unit (PTU) approximately a week before the incident. Relevant hydraulic components and fluid samples have been collected for analysis, and data from the cockpit voice and flight-data recorders has been downloaded.
Airbus technical experts have inspected the aircraft, and France’s Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la sécurité de l'aviation civile (BEA) is assisting the inquiry. The AAIB emphasized that this report is preliminary and aims to establish probable causes and contributing factors, not to assign blame. Air India has stated its full cooperation with the investigation and has initiated voluntary drug testing for all its pilots.