Air India mid-air flight scare: Plane lands safely in UK, grounded for checks

An Air India flight enroute from Amritsar to Birmingham made a safe landing on Saturday despite an emergency device being triggered mid-air during its final descent. The airline confirmed that Flight AI117, operating on October 4, experienced an in-flight deployment of its Ram Air Turbine (RAT) shortly before landing. This auxiliary system is designed to activate automatically in the event of electrical or hydraulic system failure.

Air India issued a statement reassuring that all onboard systems remained fully operational and that the aircraft landed without incident. "Following a routine deployment of the Ram Air Turbine during the final approach, all electrical and hydraulic systems were found to be functioning normally. The aircraft landed safely," the airline said.

As a precautionary measure, the aircraft was taken out of service for technical inspection. This led to the cancellation of the return flight, AI114, from Birmingham to New Delhi. Passengers affected by the cancellation were offered alternative travel arrangements, the airline added.

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The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a retractable windmill-like device installed on commercial aircraft. It is designed to automatically deploy in the event of a loss of primary electrical or hydraulic power, typically caused by engine or generator failure.

Once extended into the airstream, the RAT harnesses wind power to generate emergency energy, allowing pilots to retain control over essential systems such as flight controls, instruments, and hydraulic functions. Although rarely activated, the RAT is a critical fail-safe system in modern aviation.

Meanwhile, last month, an Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Varanasi reported a disruption after a passenger allegedly attempted to enter the cockpit, mistaking it for a lavatory.

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The passenger, one of only nine on board, was promptly restrained by cabin crew and handed over to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) upon arrival.

Responding to the incident, the airline stated: "We are aware of media reports regarding a passenger approaching the cockpit area in error. Safety and security protocols remain firmly in place and were never compromised." The airline has since reported the matter to relevant aviation authorities.