Mumbai: France’s air accident investigation agency, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), and aircraft manufacturer Airbus are set to join the investigation into an Air India flight that suffered a steep altitude excursion during Phuket-Delhi flight. The development comes after technical logs revealed a rapid cascade of hydraulic and flight-control faults immediately before the aircraft dropped 300 feet.
Multiple System Warnings Reported Before Altitude Drop
The incident occurred on August 4 onboard Air India flight AI-2379, an Airbus A320neo operating from Phuket to Delhi with passengers and crew on board. While the initial statement from Air India attributed a momentary loss in altitude and subsequent onboard injuries to severe atmospheric turbulence, details emerging from post-flight maintenance records and sources familiar with the matter paint a far more complex mechanical picture.
Nearly two and a half hours into the flight, having departed Phuket at 6.56am local time, the aircraft was cruising at altitude when it encountered a rapid sequence of system warnings at 9.32am IST. The aircraft reportedly recorded nine distinct fault messages within the span of just one minute. The automated systems are said to have flagged low-pressure indications and failures affecting the A320neo’s three independent hydraulic circuits.
Flight Control Faults Triggered Recovery Manoeuvre
The indications reportedly occurred individually and in varying dual-system combinations, ultimately involving all three hydraulic loops. Active line pilots have described such a multi-system failure sequence as an exceptionally rare occurrence given the high level of redundancy built into the A320 platform. The aircraft's three hydraulic systems power critical flight parameters, including primary flight controls, elevators, slats, flaps, landing gear and braking systems.
Following the initial hydraulic alerts, the aircraft reportedly experienced an automatic disconnection of the autopilot, accompanied by simultaneous fault indications on both the left and right elevators – the primary moveable control surfaces on the horizontal tailplane responsible for controlling the aircraft’s pitch.
As the flight-control system degraded, the aircraft pitched up, triggering an automated stall warning indicating a critical loss of lift.
One of the pilots is said to have assumed manual control and executed a nose-down pitch command to recover the aircraft from the impending stall. The pilot reportedly applied significant forward control column input during the recovery maneuver.
This manual intervention successfully broke the stall but resulted in a sharp altitude drop of approximately 300 feet in a matter of seconds. The sudden negative G-forces unseated unbuckled passengers and crew, throwing them upward against the cabin ceiling. A total of 17 people sustained injuries during the event.
Following the manual recovery maneuver, technical records show no further fault messages, indicating that the flight-control laws and system redundancies successfully stabilised. The flight subsequently continued to its destination and landed safely in Delhi.
AAIB Leads Investigation
Following the takeover of the investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), the BEA is also set to participate in the probe as the aircraft was manufactured in France. The original equipment manufacturer Airbus also confirmed that it is actively coordinating with investigators by providing technical assistance to the investigating authorities. A dedicated team of specialists is said to have been dispatched to assist the AAIB.
Air India declined to comment on specific technical findings, citing ongoing regulatory protocols. "The investigation into the incident is being conducted by the AAIB under the provisions of ICAO Annex 13. As the investigative process is ongoing, Air India cannot comment on any findings or observations related to the investigation. We will continue to extend our full cooperation to relevant authorities as required,” an airline spokesperson said.
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