DGCA Seeks Report on AI Flight RAT Deployment
New Delhi: India’s aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has sought a detailed report from Boeing regarding the uncommanded deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) on Air India flight AI-117 earlier this month. The regulator has also advised Air India to re-examine RAT storage on all affected aircraft, especially those whose Power Conditioning Modules (PCMs) have been recently replaced.
A senior DGCA official said: “Boeing is requested to submit a comprehensive report outlining preventive measures to be implemented in relation to the uncommanded RAT deployment incident, global data on similar incidents reported across the Boeing 787 fleet as set out in the company’s Fleet Team Summary, and details of any reports of service difficulties from operators worldwide following Power Control Module (PCM) changes.” was made.”
Additionally, DGCA has directed Air India to review the ‘D’ Check work package to ensure that all necessary actions related to PCM module replacement have been properly implemented. The official added that a re-inspection will be carried out on all Boeing 787 aircraft where the PCM module has been recently replaced.
Air India flight AI-117, a Boeing 787-8 aircraft (VT-ANO), was en route from Amritsar to Birmingham when the RAT was unexpectedly deployed at an altitude of 400 feet during landing on October 4, 2025. The pilot reported no abnormalities and the aircraft landed safely without incident.
“Further investigations are ongoing” regarding the RAT deployment, the official said. The RAT is a critical safety device that activates in emergencies such as electrical or hydraulic failures to provide backup power.
Boeing stated that maintenance work for the uncommanded RAT deployment was performed and no discrepancies were observed. Accordingly, the aircraft was pressed into service and returned to Delhi on October 5, 2025, an official said.
DGCA’s investigation aims to determine the reason for the uncommanded RAT deployment and ensure that necessary measures are taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
