Air India: Probe Team Scans 90-Day Records After AI 2379 Incident, What Caused Four-Second Flight Disruption?
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is reviewing 90 days of maintenance records for Air India flight AI 2379, which lost control for four seconds on a Phuket-Delhi route. Investigators are examining the technical log book, all three hydraulic pressure systems, …
Intelligence analysis by Llama
Investigators are widening the probe into Air India flight AI 2379, which was reportedly out of control for four seconds on a Phuket-Delhi service. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is reviewing 90 days of aircraft records, technical logs, hydraulic systems, and pilot-related factors.
An Air India plane from Phuket to Delhi wobbled out of control for just four seconds but landed safely. Investigators are now reading the plane's diary from the last three months, checking its pipes and pumps, and even asking if the pilot had anything to drink before flying — like checking a kid's homework, lunchbox, and whether they brushed their teeth.
Analysis
AI 2379 and the Four-Second Anomaly
The Phuket-to-Delhi Air India service AI 2379 became the centre of a fresh safety controversy after the aircraft was reportedly out of control for roughly four seconds during the flight. The brief disruption, while the plane ultimately landed safely, has triggered a formal review by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIIB). Investigators are now working to determine whether the episode stemmed from a technical fault, a human-factor issue, or a combination of both. The fact that the aircraft, its pilots, and the operational chain all touched three jurisdictions — Thailand, Indian airspace, and the carrier itself — adds complexity to piecing together the sequence of events.
The 90-Day Record Sweep
AAIIB investigators have begun pulling the last 90 days of records for the aircraft, a window that typically captures maintenance intervals, recurring snags, and pilot-reported discrepancies. Alongside the broader record review, the team is going through the technical log book, which catalogues faults flagged before and after each flight, and is specifically examining all three hydraulic pressure systems for prior irregularities. This line of inquiry follows a report from aircraft manufacturer Airbus, which attributed the loss of control to a hydraulic system failure — a claim that conflicts with the airline's initial public statement blaming turbulence.
Ratan Ambhore and the Question of Competing Narratives
Aviation expert Ratan Ambhore told the publication that the shifting explanations have put Air India under heightened scrutiny. The carrier first cited turbulence, then questions about the pilots' sobriety surfaced, and now Airbus's own report points to a hydraulic fault, leaving the public and investigators with three different theories and no confirmed root cause. Pre-flight breath-analyser checks and their documentation are now part of the probe, with investigators asking how a potentially intoxicated crew member could have passed standard screening. Until the AAIIB concludes, the central question remains open: was the four-second disruption the product of a mechanical failure, a human-factor breakdown, or a rare convergence of both.
Key points
- Air India flight AI 2379 (Phuket-Delhi) was reportedly out of control for four seconds; the plane landed safely
- The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau is reviewing 90 days of aircraft maintenance records and the technical log book
- All three hydraulic pressure systems on the aircraft are being examined after Airbus attributed the episode to a hydraulic failure
- The possibility of pilot intoxication is also under investigation, including pre-flight screening procedures
- Aviation expert Ratan Ambhore noted that Air India has offered three different explanations, complicating public understanding of the incident
If the AAIIB's thorough 90-day review and multi-pronged inquiry identify a clear root cause, it could lead to strengthened maintenance protocols, tighter pre-flight screening procedures, and a credibility boost for India's independent accident investigation apparatus. A transparent final report would also help Air India rebuild public trust after a string of safety headlines.
The conflicting explanations — turbulence, pilot intoxication, and hydraulic failure — risk prolonging public doubt and casting a shadow over Air India's operational reliability. If the probe uncovers a systemic maintenance or crew-screening failure, regulators could impose tighter oversight, flight restrictions, or financial penalties on the carrier at a sensitive moment in its post-Tata turnaround.
