Indian Pilots Demand Boeing 787 Inspections After Midair Emergency Power Activation
India's leading pilot body has requested the civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the country after an emergency power system unexpectedly activated midair on an Air India flight.
Overview
- India's leading body of pilots requested the civil aviation regulator to inspect all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in the country for potential electrical issues.
- This demand arose after the Ram Air Turbine (RAT), an emergency power system, unexpectedly activated midair on Air India flight 117 moments before landing in Birmingham.
- The RAT is a propeller-driven device designed to provide emergency power and hydraulic pressure when an aircraft's main engines or systems fail, sparking safety concerns over its uncommanded deployment.
- Charanvir Singh Randhawa, president of the Federation of Indian Pilots, expressed concern over the RAT's deployment without apparent issues, calling for grounding and investigation of the planes.
- While Air India reported initial inspections found normal electrical and hydraulic parameters, previous Boeing 787 crashes in June, including one linked to fuel control switches, have heightened overall safety concerns.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by emphasizing heightened safety concerns surrounding the Boeing Dreamliner. They achieve this by using alarmist language, prioritizing the pilot federation's call for investigation, and structurally linking the unexpected emergency system deployment to a past fatal crash, even when the incidents have distinct reported causes, to create a narrative of ongoing risk.
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FAQ
The Ram Air Turbine (RAT) is a small propeller-driven device deployed in emergencies to provide emergency power and hydraulic pressure when an aircraft's main engines or systems fail.
They requested inspections after the RAT unexpectedly deployed midair on an Air India Boeing 787 flight without any apparent system failure, raising concerns about the aircraft's electrical systems and prompting calls for grounding and investigation.
Initial inspections found no discrepancies in electrical and hydraulic parameters, and Boeing recommended maintenance actions were carried out with no issues detected; consequently, the aircraft was released for service.
The incident heightened safety concerns as it followed a fatal Air India Boeing 787 crash in June 2025, which killed 260 people and is under investigation, increasing calls to scrutinize the 787's electrical and fuel control systems.
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