Flight AI 2379, an Airbus A320neo, experienced technical failures at cruising altitude nearly two-and-a-half hours after takeoff.
Several pilots described the near-simultaneous failure of three of the hydraulic systems as extremely rare.
Neither Air India nor the Ministry has mentioned the technical fault indications in their respective press statements.
Air India’s initial statement attributed the momentary loss of altitude to “in-flight turbulence”, but subsequent statements did not repeat the reference to turbulence.
A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said.
The “momentary loss in altitude” of the Air India Phuket-Delhi flight on August 4, 2026 – which injured 17 people onboard – was preceded by a cascade of failures involving the aircraft’s hydraulic and flight-control systems, said multiple sources familiar with the matter contradicting the airline’s initial attribution of the incident to turbulence.
Flight AI 2379, an Airbus A320neo, experienced technical failures at cruising altitude nearly two-and-a-half hours after takeoff. An Airbus team is expected to arrive on Tuesday to assist with an Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) probe, while France’s aviation safety investigation authority, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, will also join the investigation. The AAIB has classified the episode as a serious incident.
The mid-air sequence involved low-pressure indications and failures affecting one or two hydraulic systems at a time, with different combinations appearing as the failures cascaded, according to a source who has reviewed the automated post-flight maintenance report. This was followed by an autopilot disconnect and simultaneous fault indications affecting both the left and right elevators, which are the control surfaces that move the aircraft’s nose up or down.
The A320neo has three independent hydraulic systems that power critical functions including the primary flight controls, landing gear, nose-wheel steering, nose movement (upward or downward), surfaces on aircraft wings that help during take-off and landing, and braking systems.
Failures recorded
The automated post-flight maintenance report records failures and warning indications in different hydraulic systems, occurring either individually or in combinations of two systems but affecting all three of them, according to the source. The report records nine such warning messages within one minute.
Several pilots described the near-simultaneous failure of three of the hydraulic systems as extremely rare.
As the aircraft pitched up and a stall warning was triggered (indicating loss of lift or height), one of the pilots took manual control and attempted to push the nose down, according to another Air India source familiar with the sequence of events.
The pilot may have applied significant control input while attempting to recover the aircraft, the source said, causing the aircraft to lose around 300 feet of altitude in a matter of moments and throwing passengers and crew upward.
The available technical records do not show further fault messages after this sequence. Sources said this indicates that the flight-control systems recovered following the pilots’ intervention, although the precise relationship between the technical failures, the flight-control response and the subsequent altitude excursion remain subject to investigation.
The pilots decided to continue to Delhi rather than divert to a nearby airport seemingly due to the availability of better medical facilities for the injured passengers as well as aircraft engineering support.
No self-medication
Meanwhile, as per the Civil Aviation Ministry, the pilot-in-command’s psychoactive substance screening test requires confirmatory testing, the result of which is awaited. The pilot body, the Airline Pilots Association of India, cautioned pilots against using over-the-counter drugs and self-medication, urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to maintain confidentiality of the screening process, and appealed to the media to exercise restraint and refrain from conducting a trial of the pilots.
Neither Air India nor the Ministry has mentioned the technical fault indications in their respective press statements.
Air India’s initial statement attributed the momentary loss of altitude to “in-flight turbulence”, but subsequent statements did not repeat the reference to turbulence. The Ministry’s statement, too, made no mention of it. Air India did not respond to a detailed questionnaire from The Hindu citing the ongoing investigation. It has sought a technical assessment from Airbus on the matter.
“In accordance with ICAO Annex 13, Airbus is providing technical assistance to the relevant investigating authorities. We are actively supporting the airline and will provide further information as it becomes available. A team of specialists is being dispatched to assist with the investigation,” an Airbus spokesperson said.
