NEW DELHI: An Air India Airbus A320 dropped about 90m in August, injuring 24 people on board, after the aircraft registered a loss of hydraulic pressure that briefly left key flight controls unresponsive, according to a preliminary Airbus analysis reviewed by Reuters.
The Aug 4 incident occurred on Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi, which landed safely in Delhi despite the altitude loss.
Airbus’ initial analysis showed the plane registered losses in all three hydraulic systems, which use pressurised fluid to power flight controls and other equipment, in quick succession.
For about four seconds, the pilots were unable to use the elevators and ailerons, movable parts on the wings and tail that control whether the plane points up or down and banks left or right. During that time, the aircraft pitched upward, Airbus said in a communication responding to an Air India request for an assessment.
The first officer applied a full nose-down input, but there was “no direct response” from the flight-control surfaces before the hydraulic systems recovered within seconds.
The assessment did not establish what caused the loss of hydraulic pressure.
Airbus asked Air India to run tests on the aircraft’s hydraulic systems and the pressure sensors and switches that monitor them. It also asked for some sensors to be removed for inspection, and said further checks of the wiring might be needed.
Airbus also found the aircraft experienced forces above specified limits during the sudden altitude change. It asked Air India to inspect the plane for possible structural damage caused by the abrupt movement.
The plane maker also asked the airline for details of hydraulic system maintenance carried out in the past month and for more detailed accounts from the pilots, as it continued its assessment.
Air India and Airbus did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Serious incident
Air India initially described the event as turbulence-related. Its later statement dropped that description, saying that the aircraft had suffered a sudden loss of altitude.
Indian authorities have classified it as a serious incident, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating, with technical assistance from Airbus and France’s BEA.
The flight’s captain tested positive for marijuana in a confirmatory drug test, according to a source familiar with the matter. No link between the test result and the altitude loss has been established to date, but Air India on Aug 13 began mandatory substance testing for all pilots, according to an internal memo.
The incident adds to the challenges facing Air India as former Ethiopian Airlines chief Tewolde Gebremariam prepares to take over as chief executive.
The Tata Group-controlled carrier is trying to turn itself around while grappling with mounting losses and increased safety and regulatory scrutiny, following the June 2025 crash of one of its Boeing 787s in Ahmedabad, India, which killed 260 people.
Singapore Airlines also has a roughly 25 per cent stake in Air India. - Reuters
