New Delhi: An Air India flight that experienced an alarming drop in altitude while traveling from Phuket to Delhi on August 4 may have faced significant technical difficulties, as per details surrounding the event.
The quick actions of the pilots reportedly averted a potentially catastrophic situation, resulting in injuries to seventeen individuals aboard.
Initially, the incident was attributed to turbulence and adverse weather. However, further insights suggest that technical malfunctions with the aircraft were involved, as reported by The New Indian Express.
In its first announcement, Air India characterized the event as “brief in-flight turbulence resulting in momentary change in altitude.” A later statement, however, described the situation as a “sudden loss of altitude during cruise,” omitting any mention of turbulence.
Captain Sam Thomas, president of the Airline Pilot Association of India, indicated that the aircraft encountered a failure of all three hydraulic systems.
The Airbus A320 was approaching Jharsuguda in Odisha around 10:30 PM when the Pilot-in-Command detected the failure of the hydraulic systems that are integral to flight controls and aircraft operations. The Captain promptly instructed the co-pilot to lower the nose of the plane, resulting in a descent of 300 feet.
This altitude drop induced a negative G-force, causing passengers to be jostled around. The timely intervention by the cockpit crew is credited with saving numerous lives on board.
Thomas emphasized the importance of hydraulic systems for the aircraft’s flight controls and other essential functions. “An Airbus A320 contains three hydraulic reservoirs located in the aircraft’s belly, connected to control surfaces via pipes and steel tubes,” he explained.
He noted that experiencing a simultaneous failure of all three hydraulic systems is exceedingly rare. In such cases, pilots may need to lower the aircraft by as much as 800 feet to regain stability.
DGCA Grounds Pilots; Dope Tests Conducted
In the meantime, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended both pilots from duty following the Air India flight incident. Reports indicate that one pilot tested positive in an initial drug test, with a follow-up examination pending results.
