B787s faced 31 uncommanded RAT deployment in 14 years globally: Official
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New Delhi (PTI): Boeing's Dreamliner aircraft have reported 31 instances of uncommanded deployment of Ram Air Turbine (RAT) in the last 14 years globally, and most of the incidents typically occurred within six months of carrying out certain maintenance works, according to a senior official.
The aircraft maker has provided a brief to the aviation regulator DGCA in the wake of the RAT getting deployed on Air India's Boeing 787-8 plane or Dreamliner (VT-ANO) seconds before landing at the Birmingham airport on October 4. The plane, which was operating the flight AI117 from Amritsar, had landed safely.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), earlier this month, asked Air India to meticulously repeat the RAT stowage procedure according to the Boeing AMM (Aircraft Maintenance Manual) for 16 of the airline's Dreamliners that had undergone RAT deployment in the past six months.
RAT deploys automatically in the eventuality of a dual engine failure or total electric or hydraulic failure. It uses wind speed to generate emergency power.
The official said that since the entry into service, there have been 31 reported instances of un-commanded RAT deployment on Dreamliner aircraft, which means RAT got deployed without pilot command or automatic deployment triggers.
"Notably, 29 of these 31 events involved RAT stow actuators that lacked a modification to the shuttle valve -- a component responsible for controlling pressure within the up-lock toggle mechanism. These incidents typically occurred within six months after maintenance requiring manual RAT stowing, as outlined in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM)," the official noted.
In the case of Air India's VT-ANO aircraft, RAT maintenance was done in July 2025, after which the RAT was manually stowed.
As per the official, the up-lock mechanism's toggle assembly within the stow/deploy actuator is susceptible to issues during manual stowing that could prevent the toggle from getting fully seated in its position after RAT stowing.
In such a scenario, subsequent vibrations or jolts that happen during takeoff, landing, landing gear operation, or rough runway conditions may cause the
toggle to slip into the deploy position.
To minimise the risk of toggle misalignment, Boeing had introduced a design change to the shuttle valve within the RAT stow actuator.
"VT-ANO and 18 other Boeing 787 aircraft in the Air India fleet do not have the modified RAT shuttle valve," the official said, clarifying that there is no Service Bulletin (SB), Service Letter (SL), or Service Information Letter (SIL) available regarding the shuttle valve design improvement.
Following the incident during the landing of the aircraft at the Birmingham airport on October 4, DGCA asked Air India to meticulously repeat the RAT stowage procedure according to the Boeing AMM (Aircraft Maintenance Manual) for all aircraft that had undergone RAT deployment in the past six months.
"A total of 16 Boeing 787 series aircraft were identified for this preventive action. Of these, RAT stowage has already been repeated for 14 aircraft, ensuring proper seating of the toggle assembly and reducing the risk of inadvertent RAT deployment due to pressure fluctuations or mechanical shocks.
"The remaining two aircraft are scheduled for completion of the RAT stowage task during ongoing Base maintenance activities," the official said.
Considered an airline's workhorse for long-haul flights, Dreamliners took to the skies 14 years ago, and now, more than 1,100 such planes are in service.
Air India's Dreamliner crash that snuffed out the lives of 241 people onboard on June 12 was also the first time that the best-selling wide-body suffered a fatal accident resulting in hull loss.
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Acts preceding actual partial penetration without ejaculation is attempt to rape: Chhattisgarh HC
Bilaspur (PTI): Noting that the act of the convict preceded the actual partial penetration but without ejaculation, the Chhattisgarh High Court has reduced the seven-year sentence awarded by a trial court to a man in a 2004 rape case and convicted him for attempted rape instead.
Partially accepting the accused's appeal, the High Court has reduced the convict's sentence to three years and six months' rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs 200 was imposed.
"The proof of penetration, even if partial, is necessary to prove rape. The evidence available in the present case does not prove complete rape, but it does prove that the accused attempted rape. The evidence available in the present case does not prove complete rape, but it does prove that the accused attempted rape," Justice Narendra Kumar Vyas stated in the order on February 16.
Additional Sessions Judge, Dhamtari (Camp-Raipur), had convicted Vasudeo Gond on April 6, 2005, under section 376(1) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced him to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.
He was also sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment under Section 342 IPC. Both sentences were to run concurrently.
Gond had lured the victim, a resident of Dhamtari district, to his house on May 21, 2004, under some pretext, and raped her.
He locked her in a room and tied her hands and feet. A case was registered at the Arjuni police station.
The prosecution examined 19 witnesses during the trial.
In her statement, the victim had claimed forced sexual intercourse by the accused. However, during cross-examination, she gave contradictory statements regarding penetration.
Medical examination revealed an intact hymen, but the possibility of partial penetration was raised. The FSL report also found human sperm in some samples.
The High Court noted that the victim's statement lacked clarity regarding penetration. The medical evidence also failed to establish complete penetration. Citing various Supreme Court decisions, the single-judge bench stated that proof of penetration, even if partial, is necessary to prove rape.
"The evidence of the victim is corroborated with the medical evidence brought on record by the prosecution and law on the subject. It is quite vivid that an offence of attempt to commit rape is made out against the appellant, as there is partial penetration by the appellant.
"As such, the act of the appellant forcibly taking the victim inside the room, closing the doors with the motive of carnal knowledge, was the end of ‘preparation’ to commit the offence. His following action of stripping the victim and himself, and rubbing his genitals against those of the victims and partial penetration, which was indeed an endeavour to commit sexual intercourse," the HC stated.
It said the acts of the appellant were deliberately done with manifest intention to commit the offence aimed at and were reasonably proximate to the consummation of the offence.
"Since the acts of the appellant exceeded the stage beyond preparation and preceded the actual partial penetration but without ejaculation, the appellant is guilty of attempting to commit rape as punishable within the ambit and scope of Section 511 read with Section 375 IPC as it stood in force at the time of occurrence," the HC stated.
The HC convicted Gond under sections 376 (1) and 511 of the IPC, instead of section 376, and sentenced him to three years and six months' rigorous imprisonment. The six-month sentence under Section 342 was upheld. Both sentences will run concurrently.
The bench ordered that the sentence already undergone by the accused be set off.
It cancelled the bail of the accused and directed him to surrender before the trial court within two months, failing which action for his arrest would be initiated.
