By Abhijith Ganapavaram
In the analysis, Airbus asked Air India to conduct checks on the plane’s systems and sensors and to provide more information about the incident. It did not establish the root cause. Indian authorities have classified it as a serious incident, and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating, with technical assistance from Airbus and France’s BEA.
The August 4 incident occurred on Air India flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi, which landed safely in Delhi despite the altitude loss.
The aircraft’s elevators and ailerons, which control its pitch and roll, were unavailable for about four seconds, during which the plane pitched upward, Airbus said in a communication responding to an Air India request for an assessment. During that period, the first officer applied a full nose-down input, but there was “no direct response” from the flight-control surfaces before the hydraulic systems recovered within seconds.
