Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that dropped 300 feet ‘logged nine warnings in a minute’: Report reveals details
Theindiapostdaily.com – A purported post-flight maintenance report for Air India flight AI2379, that suddenly dropped 300 feet earlier this month, revealed repeated warnings related to the aircraft's hydraulic systems, autopilot disconnections and elevator flight control fault, among other issues.The report pertains to the August 4 incident when Air India flight AI2379, operating from Phuket to Delhi, experienced a sudden 300-foot altitude drop over Odisha, resulting in injuries to passengers and crew members.The incident on the Airbus A320 occurred shortly after takeoff on August 4 from Phuket, Thailand, to New Delhi, while carrying 137 passengers, including three infants and eight crew members.The Air India Airbus A320 aircraft, bearing registration VT-EXO, subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi, officials were quoted by the Associated Press as saying.The incident came under intense scrutiny after local media reported that the captain may have tested positive for marijuana in a follow-up drug screening.The incident was classified as serious and led to an investigation by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB).What did the report reveal?The post-flight Centralised Fault Display System log generated for Airbus A320 VT-EXO operating the flight revealed a series of technical warnings involving the aircraft's hydraulic systems, flight controls, and autopilot during its journey from Phuket to Delhi on August 4, according to ANI.Meanwhile, the log, seen by the Hindustan Times, showed nine warning messages appearing within a minute at 9.32 am IST, when the aircraft had crossed the Odisha coast after flying over the Bay of Bengal.It reportedly lists repeated low-pressure alerts across the green, blue, and yellow hydraulic systems, along with low fluid levels in the yellow and blue reservoirs.Notably, the aircraft’s hydraulic systems rely on pressurised fluid to transmit power and operate heavy mechanical components.Other warnings included left and right elevator flight control faults, engine anti-ice-related messages, and indications for the right forward and aft emergency exit doors.Two emergency-exit door sensor warnings were then recorded at 9.33 am and 9.35 am, HT reported.Autopilot disconnections were also recorded twice.An engine anti-ice fault appeared at 10.16 am, followed by another autopilot disconnect at 10.52 am, the report added.Unlike the first disconnect, the second was not recorded alongside any hydraulic warnings. The log does not provide a reason for the disconnect.Failure messages on the report further flagged issues with the hydraulic system, an elevator computer, and a high-pressure indication linked to the nose landing gear door/engine anti-ice valve system.The pressure readings changed across different system combinations within the same minute, rather than showing a single system failing and remaining in that state.This could indicate a temporary event, such as a sharp vertical movement or sudden loss of altitude. Such an event can briefly move fluid inside the hydraulic reservoirs, based on a reading of the log by HT against standard A320 fault-code references.A sustained mechanical fault would likely have generated additional warnings, including messages indicating that the issue had recurred, the HT report added.Flightradar24 data places the altitude change within the same minute as the cluster of warnings.
The aircraft was flying at 36,160 feet when an altitude anomaly was recorded at 9.33 am IST.It then descended to around 35,800 feet, representing a loss of about 360 feet, according to Flightradar data.According to ANI, Air India initially described the event as related to turbulence.The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) are investigating the occurrence, which has been classified as a serious incident.The purported maintenance report itself does not confirm whether the logged hydraulic and flight control warnings were directly linked to the altitude loss or whether an actual loss of pressure/fluid occurred, the report added.Investigators are examining the sequence of events, system data, and crew actions.Pilot slept 30-35 minutes during flightThe pilot told investigators that he slept for 30 to 35 minutes during the flight, went to the washroom and then returned to stand behind the first officer, two people familiar with his account to the AAIB told HT.They said he was talking about the air conditioning system when the altitude event occurred and that he was thrown to the cockpit floor.The pilot’s initial post-flight drug screening was recorded as “non-negative”, meaning the sample had been flagged for further testing. His confirmatory test later returned positive for cannabis.Testing for psychoactive substances is standard procedure in critical investigations, and a non-negative reading in the first test requires a confirmatory test. In this case, the second test also came back positive, the people said, asking not to be identified because the results are confidential.The first officer was operating the aircraft, while the commander was acting as the pilot monitoring, the two people said.A cabin crew member seated in the observer seat, which a departing pilot is required to assign when leaving the cockpit, helped the commander back up, the people said.
This was the first detailed account from the cockpit crew about what happened aboard flight AI2379.The complete sequence of events inside the cockpit could not be independently confirmed by the pilots' accounts to investigators.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Air India Phuket Delhi flight that?Air India Phuket Delhi flight that is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Air India Phuket Delhi flight that matter?Air India Phuket Delhi flight that matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.