India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India to reinspect the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) systems on all Boeing 787 aircraft with recently replaced power conditioning modules.
The order follows an uncommanded RAT deployment on flight AI-117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on October 4 and additional system failures on flight AI-154 from Vienna to Delhi on October 9.
The DGCA has requested a comprehensive report from Boeing detailing preventive measures and data on similar RAT deployments globally.
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This action comes amid heightened scrutiny, with the Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) urging the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ground the entire Air India 787 fleet and initiate a special audit.
The RAT activates automatically in cases of dual engine failure or total loss of electrical or hydraulic power, supplying emergency energy by harnessing airflow. In the AI-117 incident, the RAT deployed at 400 feet during landing after a cockpit alert, despite no prior indication of major system faults.
RAM Air Turbine on an Airbus A350 (Laurent Errera)
Boeing has recommended specific maintenance actions post-incident, and no discrepancies were identified during subsequent inspections. Air India has denied reports of electrical failure during the AI-154 diversion to Dubai, emphasizing that the aircraft landed safely despite loss of autopilot and significant control system degradation.
The DGCA has advised Air India to review its ‘D’ Check maintenance procedures to better identify discrepancies following PCM module replacements. The regulator has also asked Boeing to provide service difficulty reports from other global 787 operators after similar maintenance events.
Industry attention remains focused on the reliability of critical Boeing 787 systems, particularly following the crash of an Air India 787 in June.