RAT gets deployed on Air India's Birmingham-bound plane; aircraft lands safely
Mumbai (PTI): The operating crew of Air India's Amritsar-Birmingham flight reported that the Boeing 787's Ram Air Turbine (RAT) unexpectedly deployed during the final approach on October 4, but the aircraft landed safely, the airline said on Sunday.
RAT deploys automatically in the eventuality of a dual engine failure or total electronic or hydraulic failure. It uses wind speed to generate emergency power.
Air India said it has cancelled its Birmingham-Delhi flight as the aircraft has been grounded for inspection.
"The operating crew of flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham on 4 October 2025 detected deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) of the aircraft during its final approach. All electrical and hydraulic parameters were found normal, and the aircraft performed a safe landing at Birmingham," the Tata Group-owned Air India said in a statement.
The airline, however, did not share specific details, including the number of people on board.
Alternative arrangements are being made to accommodate the passengers, Air India said in the statement.
It may be mentioned here that both engine or hydraulic/ electrical failure or software malfunction are also being cited as among the several probable causes of the Air India Boeing 787 plane crash in June this year.
On June 12, Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft operating flight AI 171 en route to London Gatwick crashed into a medical hostel complex soon after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people, including 241 persons who were onboard the plane.
India's aircraft accident bureau, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), is probing the crash.
The AAIB in its preliminary report in July this year said that the engine fuel control switches of the ill-fated Boeing 787-8 plane were cut off seconds after lift off, with one of the pilots asking the other why did he cut off, and the latter responding saying he did not do so, according to AAIB.
In its 15-page preliminary report on the crash, which happened within around 30 seconds of the plane lifting off, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) said the fuel control switches were switched on later, but the deceleration in one of the engines could not be stopped.
US aircraft maker Boeing has maintained silence on one of the deadliest air crashes in India in the last three decades.
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Police refused to file FIR in Baramati plane crash; our suspicion growing stronger, says Rohit Pawar
Mumbai (PTI): NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Wednesday claimed that the Mumbai police refused to file an FIR in connection with the plane crash, in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed, and said the refusal has deepened the suspicion surrounding the accident.
The government and the machinery appeared to be protecting someone, he alleged.
Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday directed the grounding of four aircraft of VSR Ventures, whose plane crashed at Baramati on January 28, killing Ajit Pawar and four others.
Following the crash of the Learjet 45 aircraft (VT-SSK), the aviation regulator had ordered a special safety audit of VSR Ventures, and the audit team observed several non-compliances of approved procedures in the area of airworthiness, air safety, and flight operations.
In a message posted on a social media platform, Rohit Pawar claimed, "While awaiting appropriate action regarding Ajitdada's plane crash, yesterday the DGCA report arrived stating that this accident was caused by the negligence of VSR company."
However, since no FIR has been filed in this regard, he along with party MLC Amol Mitkari, Idris Naikwadi and MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar, went to the Marine Drive police station in south Mumbai to demand registration of an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), he said.
He claimed that when the process to record his statement began, a senior police official refused to register the FIR and instead accepted their application merely as a formality.
"The conduct of the police has further intensified our suspicion regarding the plane crash. If even after demands by elected representatives from both the opposition and the ruling parties the police are discarding the demand to register an FIR, it is unfortunate for Maharashtra," Pawar, who represents the Karjat-Jamkhed assembly constituency in Ahilyanagar district, said in the post.
The government and the machinery appeared to be protecting someone, he alleged, and questioned whether Ajit Pawar would get justice if such a situation persisted.
The NCP (SP) legislator said they would not relent until the matter is taken to its logical conclusion.
He added that at 9 am on Thursday, all those who love his uncle Ajit Pawar would go to the Baramati taluka police station to press for registration of an FIR.
While the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is expected to come out with its preliminary report into the fatal crash before February 28, concerns have been raised in certain quarters claiming there could have been a conspiracy that led to the crash.
