DGCA Probes Air India 787 RAT Deployment

On Oct. 4, 2025, Air India Boeing 787-8 flight AI117 (registration VT-ANO) from Amritsar to Birmingham experienced an uncommanded Ram Air Turbine deployment at about 400–500 ft on final approach but landed safely with no injuries and electrical and hydraulic parameters reported normal. The aircraft was grounded for inspection, the return flight AI114 (Birmingham–Delhi) was cancelled and affected passengers were re-accommodated. Boeing-recommended maintenance actions for uncommanded RAT deployment were carried out and found no discrepancies. India’s regulator DGCA has opened a detailed probe, assigning the investigation to a deputy air safety officer (DAS‑NR), and Boeing issued a Fleet Team Digest noting prior similar cases. The Federation of Indian Pilots urged the DGCA, the UK AAIB and India’s MoCA to inspect electrical systems across Boeing 787s, citing Aircraft Health Monitoring data that flagged a possible Bus Power Control Unit fault and the June AI171 crash. The rare automatic RAT deployment — intended only for dual-engine or total power failures — has intensified scrutiny of 787 electrical systems despite the absence of immediate abnormalities on AI117.