{"id":68305,"date":"2025-10-12T11:41:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-12T06:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=68305"},"modified":"2025-10-13T11:24:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T05:54:28","slug":"dgca-probes-air-india-boeing-787-after-unusual-rat-deployment-during-birmingham-landing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/dgca-probes-air-india-boeing-787-after-unusual-rat-deployment-during-birmingham-landing\/","title":{"rendered":"DGCA Probes Air India Boeing 787 After Unusual RAT Deployment During Birmingham Landing"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>RAT Deployment Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Air India Boeing 787-8 (flight AI-117) flying from Amritsar to Birmingham experienced an unexpected deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) \u2014 a last-resort emergency power system \u2014 during final approach, despite all electrical and hydraulic systems functioning normally.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The aircraft landed safely and was grounded for inspection, but no technical anomalies were found. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a formal investigation into the incident.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has called on the regulator to inspect all Boeing 787s operating in India, suggesting the <\/span><b>malfunction could indicate underlying electrical system issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> possibly linked to the June 12 Ahmedabad crash that killed 260 people.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Last-Resort Power: How the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) Works on Aircraft<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a small propeller-like device designed to automatically deploy only in severe emergencies such as dual engine failure or total power loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its unexpected activation is extremely rare and typically indicates a technical malfunction.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The RAT harnesses airflow pressure generated by the aircraft\u2019s speed to produce power.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A similar RAT deployment occurred during the June 12 Ahmedabad crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which tragically claimed 241 lives, underscoring the system\u2019s role as a last-resort emergency power source.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>How It Generates Power<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The RAT functions like a <\/span><b>mini wind turbine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, using ram pressure \u2014 created by the aircraft\u2019s forward motion \u2014 to generate electricity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power produced sustains essential flight systems such as flight controls, navigation, and communication equipment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the brief window before RAT deployment, the aircraft\u2019s batteries keep critical instruments running.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designed as a last line of defence, <\/span><b>the RAT is most effective at high speeds or cruising altitudes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, when airflow can generate enough power for emergency operation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It allows pilots to maintain control and glide toward a safe landing, though it cannot replace engine power.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to experts, this emergency system has helped save over 2,400 lives worldwide over the past five decades, preventing several major aviation disasters by keeping aircraft operational during total power failures.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>RAT Deployment on Air India Flight to Birmingham<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the landing of Air India flight AI117, a Boeing 787 (VT-ANO) flying from Ahmedabad to Birmingham, the aircraft\u2019s Ram Air Turbine (RAT) unexpectedly deployed at just 400 feet, despite no signs of technical abnormality.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following comprehensive checks and Boeing-recommended maintenance procedures, no discrepancies were found.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Boeing confirmed the aircraft was structurally and functionally sound. The plane has since resumed regular operations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, given the highly unusual nature of the <\/span><b>uncommanded RAT deployment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a detailed probe.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aviation experts suggest the incident may have resulted from a system malfunction, but the exact cause will be known only after further investigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Fresh Concerns Over Boeing 787 Systems After Birmingham Incident<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The unexpected RAT deployment on Air India\u2019s Boeing 787 during landing at Birmingham has reignited safety concerns about the aircraft model, occurring just four months after the Ahmedabad crash that killed 260 people.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In that crash, the RAT had deployed moments after takeoff, when both engines shut down due to fuel control switches shifting from \u2018RUN\u2019 to \u2018CUTOFF\u2019.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A detailed technical investigation is still underway.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, representing <\/span><b>5,500 pilots<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, suspects that an <\/span><b>electrical fault<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may have triggered the RAT deployment in the Birmingham flight.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The FIP suggested the Birmingham incident could be <\/span><b>linked to the Ahmedabad crash<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, arguing that potential <\/span><b>electrical system failures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> were not fully investigated.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It warned that the Birmingham event could be a pointer to systemic issues, urging immediate regulatory action in the interest of air safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since its <\/span><b>commercial debut in 2011<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>Boeing 787 Dreamliner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has experienced <\/span><b>occasional technical issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as battery malfunctions and electrical glitches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it maintained a <\/span><b>strong safety record<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> until <\/span><b>June 12, 2025<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 the <\/span><b>first-ever fatal crash and hull loss<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the model worldwide.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-sci-tech\/rat-deployment-power-system-air-india-boeing-787-birmingham-10292984\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/india-news\/what-is-rat-in-an-aircraft-air-india-amritsar-birmingham-flight-encounters-serious-mid-air-scare-101759687634974.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">HT<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/ai-boeing-787-rat-deployment-dgca-issues-directives-for-airline-seeks-info-from-boeing\/articleshow\/124486527.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">ToI<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DGCA to investigate Air India\u2019s Boeing 787 after its emergency Ram Air Turbine deployed mid-landing in Birmingham, raising new safety concerns post-Ahmedabad crash.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":68440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,3201,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-68305","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-rat-deployment","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68305\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}