Mid-Air Emergency: Pilot's Presence of Mind Saves Air India Flight from Disaster

Birmingham (The Uttam Hindu): An Air India Amritsar-Birmingham flight (AI117) suffered a major setback on Saturday when the plane's emergency ram air turbine (RAT) deployed mid-air just before landing. This was considered a serious technical incident, but due to the pilots' presence of mind, the plane landed safely in Birmingham, and all passengers and crew are safe.

Air India issued a statement confirming the incident. "During final approach to Birmingham on Saturday, the crew of flight AI117 detected an indication of ram air turbine (RAT) activation. All electrical and hydraulic parameters of the aircraft were normal and the aircraft landed safely," the statement said.

Following the incident, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft has been grounded for a detailed technical inspection. Consequently, return flight AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi has been cancelled. The airline says alternative arrangements are being made for affected passengers.

The ram air turbine (RAT) is a vital emergency device on any aircraft. It functions like a small windmill, generating electricity and hydraulic power from air pressure in the event of a failure of the aircraft's engines or main power supply. This system is only activated in severe emergencies, so its automatic deployment is considered a major technical flaw.

This isn't the first time a Boeing 787 Dreamliner has experienced such an incident. The RAT system of the same model aircraft was also activated during a plane crash in Ahmedabad in June this year. An investigation into that incident found that a fuel supply disruption caused the engines to shut down, triggering the emergency system.