An Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost altitude on August 4 had a startling sequence of aircraft-system warnings moments around the incident, according to a post-flight fault log reviewed by Hindustan Times. The Airbus A320, registered as VT-EXO, recorded nine warning messages within roughly one minute, including alerts linked to its hydraulic systems, autopilot and elevator flight controls.
The flight, AI2379, was travelling from Phuket to Delhi when it experienced a sudden altitude drop over the Odisha coast. The incident left 24 people injured, including 20 passengers and four crew members, and was classified as serious. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is examining the circumstances surrounding the event.
Nine critical warnings appeared within one minute
The aircraft’s Centralised Fault Display System log reportedly shows that nine warnings appeared at around 9:32am IST on August 4. At the time, the aircraft had crossed the Odisha coast after flying over the Bay of Bengal.
The alerts involved the Green, Blue and Yellow hydraulic systems. The log also showed low reservoir levels in the Yellow and Blue systems, an autopilot disconnect and an elevator flight-control fault.
Hydraulic systems are crucial to aircraft operation because pressurised fluid is used to transmit power to major mechanical components and flight-control systems. Any unusual pressure or fluid-level reading therefore becomes an important part of investigators’ efforts to establish what happened.
The concentration of warnings was particularly significant because the aircraft’s altitude changed during the same period.
Air India aircraft lost around 360 feet
Flight-tracking data indicates that AI2379 was flying at approximately 36,160 feet when an altitude anomaly was recorded at about 9:33am. The aircraft subsequently descended to roughly 35,800 feet, representing a drop of around 360 feet, according to Flightradar24 data cited in the report.
The incident was initially associated with turbulence, but the newly reported technical warnings have added another important dimension to the investigation.
The fault log does not necessarily establish that a mechanical failure directly caused the altitude loss. According to the report’s analysis of the warning sequence, the hydraulic pressure readings changed across different system combinations during the same minute rather than showing one hydraulic system remaining failed.
That pattern could be consistent with a temporary event, such as sudden vertical movement or an abrupt change in aircraft altitude. Such movement can affect fluid levels inside hydraulic reservoirs and trigger temporary warnings.
No repeated hydraulic warnings for 43 minutes
Two emergency-exit door sensor warnings were recorded at 9:33am and 9:35am. However, the aircraft did not record further hydraulic or elevator-related warnings for the next 43 minutes, according to the fault log.
An engine anti-ice fault appeared at approximately 10:16am. Another autopilot disconnect was recorded at 10:52am, although this later event was not accompanied by hydraulic warnings and the available log did not establish its cause.
The absence of repeated hydraulic and elevator alerts after the initial cluster could become significant as investigators determine whether the warnings represented a sustained technical malfunction or a short-lived event.
A continuing mechanical fault would generally be expected to generate further related warnings or recurring indications, although investigators will need to examine the aircraft’s full flight-data and maintenance records before drawing conclusions.
Pilot’s account adds another layer to investigation
The technical findings have emerged alongside questions about the flight crew’s actions during the incident.
The commander reportedly told investigators that he had slept for about 30 to 35 minutes during the flight. He subsequently went to the washroom and returned to the cockpit, where he stood behind the first officer, according to people familiar with his account to the AAIB.
According to that account, the commander was discussing the aircraft’s air-conditioning system when the sudden altitude event occurred. He was reportedly thrown onto the cockpit floor, while the first officer was operating the aircraft.
A cabin crew member seated in the observer seat subsequently helped the commander back up. The report noted that the complete sequence inside the cockpit could not independently be confirmed solely through the pilots’ accounts.
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The commander has also come under scrutiny after his initial post-flight drug screening was recorded as “non-negative”. A subsequent confirmatory test reportedly returned positive for cannabis.
AAIB probe examining multiple factors
The August 4 Air India incident is now being investigated from several angles, including aircraft-system performance, flight data, cockpit activity and crew fitness.
The newly surfaced fault log is particularly important because it provides a timestamped record of warnings generated by the aircraft around the time of the altitude loss. However, individual warnings do not by themselves prove the root cause of the incident.
Investigators will have to establish whether the hydraulic alerts, autopilot disconnect and elevator-control warning were consequences of the sudden aircraft movement, contributing factors, or signs of an underlying technical problem.
For Air India, the incident adds to continuing scrutiny over operational safety and crew procedures. The final findings of the AAIB investigation are expected to provide a clearer picture of what caused AI2379 to suddenly lose altitude and whether technical or operational factors played a role.
Until the investigation is completed, the sequence of nine warnings should be treated as evidence under examination rather than definitive proof of the cause of the incident.
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