Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight Incident: A320 Lost 300 Feet, Suffered Triple Hydraulic Failure

Air India's A320 plane that suddenly lost 300 feet in altitude during its flight from Phuket to Delhi last week suffered multiple technical glitches and triple hydraulic failures, as well as experienced turbulence, sources told PTI on Monday.

French aircraft accident probe agency BEA and Airbus will be sending their teams to assist the AAIB in its investigation into the mid-air turbulence incident involving Air India's Phuket-Delhi flight that left at least 17 people injured last week, PTI reported, citing sources. The report said the teams would be arriving in the national capital on Tuesday.

The incident is being probed by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) as per Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

What Happened On Air India Phuket-Delhi Flight?

On August 4, the Phuket-Delhi flight AI2379 operated with A320 aircraft VT-EXO experienced a sudden loss of altitude of approximately 300 feet during cruise, after which the aircraft stabilised and subsequently landed safely in the national capital.

An Airbus spokesperson on Monday said its team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation. "In accordance with ICAO Annex 13, Airbus is providing technical assistance to the relevant investigating authorities. We are actively supporting the airline and will provide further information as it becomes available.

A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation," the Airbus spokesperson said in a statement.

AAIB Probes Technical Failures

On August 9, the civil aviation ministry said that in the AI2379 flight incident, injuries were reported to a few passengers and cabin crew members on board. There were 137 passengers, including 3 infants, and 8 crew members onboard.

Meanwhile, the flight's pilot-in-command has undergone confirmatory testing after an initial psychoactive substance screening indicated that the result requires further analysis, the ministry had said. The result of the confirmatory testing is awaited.

The turbulence injured nearly 20 people, including crew members, though the plane landed safely at the Delhi airport later.

"We are aware that a post-flight screening test was conducted on the pilots in accordance with applicable protocols. However, the results of the test have not been shared with Air India, and we are therefore not in a position to comment on any findings," the airline informed in a statement.