Air India pilots call for grounding of Boeing 787s after unexpected safety incident

This concern follows a fatal crash involving Air India Flight AI171 in June, where investigators also found that the RAT had been incorrectly deployed prior to the accident. That crash remains under investigation, with possible causes including both mechanical failure and pilot error. Data from recovered black boxes suggested issues with fuel system controls and indicated that flaps may not have been deployed during landing.

Captain Charanvir Singh Randhawa, President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, commented on the recent incident: “I have never heard of the RAT being deployed automatically without any hydraulic loss, power loss or failures.”

Multiple agencies are involved in investigating these incidents. India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau leads efforts with support from counterparts in the UK, Portugal, Canada’s AAIB, and America’s National Transportation Safety Board. Technical experts from GE and Boeing are also participating.

Preliminary findings link Saturday's incident with elements observed in June's fatal crash, raising concerns about potential systemic issues within some Boeing 787 aircraft. However, only early-stage investigations have been made public so far; no definitive cause has yet been established.