Now Reading: Air India A320 lost flight controls for 4 seconds during drop
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Air India A320 lost flight controls for 4 seconds during drop
An Air India Airbus A320 briefly lost key flight controls during a 300-foot drop on August 4, according to an Airbus analysis. The plane's elevators and ailerons were unavailable for about four…
The Story in Brief
An Air India Airbus A320 briefly lost key flight controls during a 300-foot drop on August 4, according to an Airbus analysis. The plane's elevators and ailerons were unavailable for about four seconds after all three hydraulic systems failed. The aircraft, flying from Phuket to Delhi as flight AI2379, landed safely despite the altitude loss. Twenty-four people were injured.
Airbus asked Air India to check the plane's systems and sensors but did not establish a root cause. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating with help from Airbus and France's BEA. Separately, the flight's captain tested positive for marijuana, though no link to the incident has been found. Air India has since started mandatory substance testing for all pilots.
The Indian Opinion
The marijuana test on the captain risks overshadowing the real story: a rare triple hydraulic failure that robbed pilots of control for four seconds. That is a serious design or maintenance question, not a moral one. Until the AAIB report identifies the root cause, blaming the pilot or rushing to drug-test all crew only distracts. The key number to watch is how many other A320neos show similar hydraulic pressure drops.
Sources (2): thehindubusinessline.com, ndtvprofit.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
