Air India A320neo lost all three hydraulic systems at 36,000 feet

India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has found that an Air India Airbus A320neo lost pressure in all three of its hydraulic systems within four seconds while cruising at 36,000 feet. The incident, which occurred on August 4, 2026, left 24 people injured and was first reported to investigators as a turbulence encounter. 

The aircraft, registered VT-EXO, was operating flight AI2379 from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi with 145 people on board. The AAIB, which is also leading the inquiry into the June 2025 crash of Air India flight AI171, reclassified the occurrence as an accident after assessing the injuries. 

According to the preliminary report, the flight control system detected a loss of green hydraulic pressure at 04:02:43 UTC. Four seconds later, it also registered the loss of the blue and yellow systems. 

The autopilot disengaged at 04:02:48 UTC, and a stall warning sounded for two seconds at 04:02:51 UTC. 

The co-pilot, who was the pilot flying, responded before the captain took over the controls. The aircraft climbed 372 feet above its assigned level and then descended 292 feet below it, a total vertical excursion of 664 feet. 

Hydraulic pressure returned within seconds 

The blue system recovered at about 04:02:52 UTC, followed by the yellow and green systems seconds later, restoring the flight control surfaces. The AAIB noted that the three systems are independent, with separate reservoirs and no transfer of fluid between them. 

VT-EXO had been dispatched from Phuket under a Minimum Equipment List item covering the power transfer unit, invoked on July 28, 2026. The unit is an auxiliary pressure source for the green and yellow systems. The report records the dispatch but draws no connection between the deferred item and the pressure losses. 

The seat belt signs were off at the time of the event. As a consequence, twenty passengers and four cabin crew received medical attention after landing in Delhi, where four people with serious injuries were hospitalized. 

The crew continued to Delhi rather than diverting, landing at 05:30 UTC. Cabin damage included cracked ceiling panels, dislodged overhead bin doors, a broken emergency exit handle and a lavatory commode torn from its mounting. 

Neither the flight crew nor air traffic control reported adverse weather. 

Captain returned non-negative substance screening 

Because the flight originated outside India, both pilots underwent post-flight medical checks on their arrival, under Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Civil Aviation Requirements. 

Breath analyzer results were satisfactory. However, the captain’s psychoactive substance screening returned a non-negative result, as did a confirmatory laboratory test on a blood sample. The report does not identify the substance detected. The co-pilot tested negative in both screenings. 

The AAIB issued an interim safety recommendation calling on the DGCA to act against psychoactive substance abuse, describing the finding as a serious concern. However, it draws no link between the captain’s test result and the hydraulic failure. 

Hydraulic components and fluid samples have been removed for testing. Airbus specialists, working through France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), examined the aircraft from August 13 to 15, 2026. The post Air India A320neo lost all three hydraulic systems at 36,000 feet appeared first on AeroTime.

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