New Delhi: Questions have emerged over Air India’s initial description of a Phuket to Delhi flight incident as a brief turbulence related event after maintenance records indicated that the aircraft experienced multiple technical warnings during the journey.
Air India flight AI2379, an Airbus A320neo carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, suddenly lost around 300 feet of altitude during cruise on August 4. The aircraft subsequently landed safely in Delhi at 11:07 am.
A maintenance report printed in the cockpit after landing recorded a series of warnings involving the aircraft’s hydraulic systems. At around 9:32 am, alerts indicated low pressure in all three hydraulic systems, while two reservoirs showed low fluid levels. The autopilot also disconnected and faults were recorded involving the elevator controls.
The aircraft later generated additional warnings. Alerts relating to two emergency exit doors appeared shortly after the hydraulic warnings. An Engine 1 anti ice system fault was recorded at 10:16 am, while the autopilot disconnected again at 10:52 am.
Aircraft such as the A320neo are equipped with multiple hydraulic systems to provide redundancy if one system develops a problem. Individual warnings do not necessarily indicate a complete system failure, but simultaneous alerts involving multiple hydraulic systems and flight controls warrant detailed investigation.
Air India’s initial statement, issued at 1:14 pm, described the incident as a “brief in-flight turbulence-related event” that caused a temporary change in altitude. It said a small number of passengers and crew members had suffered minor injuries.
Five hours later, the airline issued an updated statement and removed the reference to turbulence. It said the aircraft had experienced a sudden loss of altitude during cruise before continuing normally to Delhi. The statement did not refer to the hydraulic warnings.
The Civil Aviation Ministry later reported that at least 20 passengers and four crew members were injured.
The incident has also raised questions about the flight crew. Both pilots have reportedly been removed from flying duties pending an investigation. The pilot in command, Sudeep Vashistha, is also reported to have tested positive for a psychoactive substance during post flight screening and was taking prescribed medication for sleep difficulties.
The circumstances surrounding the altitude loss and the aircraft’s technical warnings remain under investigation.
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