Aviation safety concerns have deepened after an Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, operating from Amritsar to Birmingham, experienced a mid-air technical malfunction on Saturday when its emergency Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed unexpectedly during descent. The Federation of Indian Pilots (FIP) has since written to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), urging an immediate and comprehensive inspection of all Boeing 787 aircraft in India to rule out systemic electrical issues.
According to Air India, the incident occurred on flight AI117 during its final approach to Birmingham on October 4. Despite the sudden deployment of the RAT—a critical backup turbine that automatically activates in cases of dual engine or total electrical failure—the aircraft landed safely. The RAT generates emergency power through wind force to keep essential flight systems operational when main power sources fail.
In a letter to the DGCA, FIP President G.S. Randhawa pointed out that the aircraft’s health monitoring system detected a fault in the Bus Power Control Unit (BPCU), which may have triggered the automatic deployment. The BPCU is a vital electrical distribution unit, and any fault in it can cause erratic power flow, potentially activating emergency systems unnecessarily. “The incident occurred when the Ram Air Turbine deployed automatically at 500 feet on approach into Birmingham. The Aircraft Health Monitoring (AHM) has picked up a fault of the BPCU, which may have caused the auto deployment of RAT,” Randhawa stated.
The pilots’ federation, representing over 5,000 commercial pilots in India, described the malfunction as a possible indicator of broader electrical reliability issues within the Boeing 787 fleet. “There have been numerous incidents on B-787 aircraft. We have strongly taken up with the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to thoroughly check the electrical system of all B-787 aircraft in the country,” the letter said.
The FIP also drew attention to the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI171 on June 12 this year. The Boeing 787 aircraft, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off, killing all 241 people onboard and 19 on the ground—a total of 260 fatalities, marking one of India’s worst aviation disasters in recent decades.
The AAIB’s preliminary investigation into that crash revealed that the aircraft’s engine fuel control switches were inexplicably turned off seconds after take-off. The cockpit voice recorder captured one pilot questioning the other about why the switches were cut off, receiving a denial in response. The unexplained electrical or control issue raised alarms about potential malfunctions in the Dreamliner’s complex power systems.
Following the crash, the DGCA ordered inspections of the fuel control systems in Air India’s Boeing 787 fleet, but the FIP maintains that a broader, deeper inspection of the entire electrical network was never conducted. “It is pertinent to note that the Birmingham incident is another pointer towards the Air India B-787 crash. Thus, in the interest of air safety, FIP insists that DGCA must thoroughly check and investigate the electrical system of B-787 aircraft in the country,” the federation asserted.
Meanwhile, Boeing has not yet issued a statement regarding either the Birmingham RAT deployment or the fatal Ahmedabad crash. The silence from the US aircraft manufacturer has further intensified scrutiny from India’s aviation community, as pilots and regulators push for greater transparency and stringent oversight of the Dreamliner’s electrical systems.
The latest incident underscores the growing urgency for aviation authorities to ensure that safety mechanisms on Boeing’s 787 fleet—one of the most technologically advanced aircraft models in service—are not compromised by recurring electrical irregularities.
