The recent crash of the Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner near Ahmedabad has thrust aviation safety and aircraft emergency systems into sharp focus. This tragic event, deeply analyzed by experts, reveals the critical role and deployment of the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) during the final moments of the flight. Emerging video evidence and technical examinations have raised important questions about what exactly transpired onboard, shedding light on the complex failure sequences experienced during this catastrophic incident.
When discussing the RAT’s involvement, it’s critical to understand what this device is and why its activation is such a significant red flag. The Ram Air Turbine is a miniature wind turbine, usually stowed within the fuselage or wing of large commercial jets like the 787. It automatically deploys in the event of a complete loss of engine power or a failure of the primary electrical generation systems. Its role is to provide emergency hydraulic pressure and electrical power, sustaining the minimal flight control and avionics functionality required for pilots to attempt recovery or safe landing. The footage from the crash shows a two-bladed RAT propeller unfurling — a telltale sign interpreted by aviation expert Captain Steve Scheibner as an urgent and unmistakable signal of electrical and engine system failure.
Delving into the flight’s critical takeoff and subsequent climb phase helps clarify the scenario leading up to the RAT’s deployment. At Ahmedabad airport, the Air India Dreamliner used the airport’s entire 3.5-kilometer runway, exceeding the usual takeoff distance for this aircraft, which typically requires 2.5 to 3 kilometers under normal conditions. This unusual usage may already hint at performance anomalies. Initial flight data does not report abnormal thrust or flap settings, and the aircraft appeared to lift off without issue. However, video recordings provide a different narrative mid-climb: a sudden, dramatic loss of thrust, accompanied by loud noises documented by witnesses and flickering cockpit lighting. The timing coincides exactly with the Ram Air Turbine’s deployment, strongly indicating an abrupt and simultaneous failure of both engines or a critical electrical power loss.
Unpacking what might have triggered such a rare and devastating dual-engine failure involves exploring several potential causes. Mechanical faults—ranging from engine component failure to fuel system breakdowns—stand as usual suspects in aviation incidents. Fuel contamination, such as water or debris in the fuel supply, can choke engines, especially on complex, high-performance aircraft like the 787. Bird strikes, although less common in modern airspace management, can also cause sudden engine damage or failure. More intriguingly, given the Boeing 787’s extensive reliance on computer systems and software, potential glitches or cyber vulnerabilities loom large as possible contributors to systemic electrical or engine disruptions. While investigations are ongoing, the RAT’s activation narrows the search to catastrophic engine or electrical system collapses. The presence of a Mayday call reinforces the crew’s acute awareness of an extreme emergency, while audio analysis highlights a high-pitched squeal consistent with the RAT spinning at maximum speeds to supply emergency power—a desperate last stand by the aircraft’s emergency fallback systems.
The RAT’s deployment also offers insights into aircraft design philosophy, specifically in handling emergencies. Rather than attempting to prevent all failures, modern aircraft like the Dreamliner embed redundancy and fallback mechanisms intended to keep pilots in the cockpit “in the loop” even during worst-case scenarios. The RAT provides just enough hydraulic and electrical power to maintain limited control, potentially enabling pilots to glide to a safer landing zone or attempt an emergency touchdown. Sadly, in this Air India accident, the RAT’s intervention was insufficient to offset the loss of full thrust combined with possible system-wide failures. The event highlights the sobering limits of existing emergency recovery systems when faced with cascading, multi-system failures—challenges that drive continuous evolution in aircraft safety standards but leave very little margin for error in real life.
In the wake of this tragedy, the newly surfaced evidence of the Ram Air Turbine’s activation crystallizes the picture of what went wrong onboard the Air India Dreamliner. It points to a sudden and severe loss of both engines or a catastrophic electrical failure, steering investigative focus toward these critical failure modes. At the same time, it underscores how aircraft designers build in layered defenses: fallback power generation like the RAT is a crucial last line of defense meant to salvage control in near-total system blackouts. Though the precise root causes remain under scrutiny, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the extreme pressures on pilot skill, aircraft resilience, and safety technology in crisis moments.
Moving forward, aviation experts and communities will pore over every detail—from flight data recorder outputs to eyewitness testimonies—to piece together what triggered this catastrophic failure and how future aircraft might better withstand or avoid such calamities. The urgency to improve system robustness, pilot training for emergency responses, and diagnostic technologies has never been greater. This tragedy also pushes conversation into emerging risks like software vulnerabilities in increasingly digital cockpits, which must be addressed alongside traditional mechanical and environmental hazards. For now, the RAT spinning in the storm remains a haunting emblem of an aircraft desperately fighting to stay airborne as its systems imploded, a stark lesson carved into aviation’s hard-won safety legacy.
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