New Delhi: In a terrifying mid air scare, an Air India Airbus A320 flying from Phuket to New Delhi experienced a sudden altitude drop of nearly 300 feet after suffering multiple hydraulic failures. The incident, which took place on August 4, left twenty passengers and four cabin crew members severely injured. Fresh findings from an initial assessment by aircraft manufacturer Airbus have now shed light on the seven seconds of horror that unfolded inside the cockpit.
According to the preliminary report, flight AI2379 faced a highly unusual technical malfunction where all three of its independent hydraulic systems failed within a span of two seconds. The green, blue and yellow hydraulic systems simultaneously recorded a sudden pressure drop. This rare glitch caused the pilots to temporarily lose critical flight controls for about four seconds. The autopilot immediately disengaged, and the aircraft stopped responding to commands for the ailerons, elevators and spoilers.
During this brief but critical window, the ailerons moved in the same direction, generating extra lift that pushed the nose of the plane upward sharply. In response, the first officer took manual control and applied a full nose down command. Fortunately, the hydraulic pressure returned just five seconds later, allowing the flight control computers to reconnect and the crew to successfully stabilise the aircraft. The plane, carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members, eventually landed safely in the national capital.
Initially, Air India had attributed the sudden drop to severe mid air turbulence over Odisha. However, the flight data recorder analysis by Airbus paints a more complex picture of a serious mechanical emergency. To further complicate matters, the pilot in command later tested positive for marijuana during a mandatory post flight psychoactive substance screening. Both pilots have been taken off the flying roster pending a detailed investigation.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has officially classified the event as a serious incident. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is currently conducting a thorough probe with technical assistance from Airbus and the French aviation safety agency. Aviation experts have termed the simultaneous failure of three hydraulic systems as exceptionally rare. Investigators are now closely examining the maintenance logs and flight records to determine the exact root cause behind this alarming episode.