The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday began investigating the Emergency Turbine, Ram Air Turbine (RAT) to be deployed without any order in the air of Emergency Turbine, Ram Air Turbine (RAT) in the Air India Boeing Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft going from Amritsar to Birmingham. Aircraft, AI 117, had made a safe landing in Birmingham. The RAT system is a small fan -like device that is usually turned on automatically when all engines are closed, when the aircraft has a power failure. This fan uses the air coming to generate emergency electricity. Air India has confirmed that all electrical and hydraulic systems were functioning normally at the time of landing. However, according to standard operating procedures, the aircraft has been stopped for detailed inspection.
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According to the DGCA, when the aircraft was about to land at a height of 400 feet in Birmingham, RAT was deployed. The aviation regulator reported that the pilot did not report any abnormalities and took off the aircraft safely. The recommended maintenance proceedings have been completed by Boeing (Dreamliner 787-8 aircraft manufacturer) for the deployment of un-commanded RAT and no discrepancy has been observed. The DGCA further said that the aircraft is being issued for service. Boeing presented its report with recommendations and confirmed that the aircraft is accepted for structural and functionally continuous operation if all stages are satisfactory.
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The DGCA’s Air Safety Department will investigate the matter and an officer of the Directorate of Air Safety has been appointed for this investigation. It is worth noting that the same aircraft model, Boeing Dreamliner 787-8, was also involved in the Ahmedabad plane crash in June this year, in which RAT was also deployed. The interim inquiry report of the case found that the engine was closed due to disrupting fuel supply, causing the emergency mechanism to activate.