AAIB classifies Air India A320 turbulence event as accident

It matters to citizens as it documents a significant in-flight event resulting in injuries to 24 individuals and provides initial technical details on the hydraulic system failure and subsequent recovery.

Who it concerns: The report concerns Air India Limited (operator), Alafco Irish Aircraft Leasing Eight Limited (owner), the 145 persons on board (137 passengers, 6 cabin crew, 2 flight crew), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) of France.

What the investigators found

• The AAIB classified the event as an accident after initially receiving a notification of turbulence and injuries.
• At 04:02:43 UTC, the aircraft's flight control system detected a loss of the green hydraulic system, followed by the blue and yellow systems.
• The autopilot disengaged, and a stall warning triggered for 2 seconds; the aircraft experienced an altitude upset, gaining 372 ft and falling 292 ft from its assigned flight level.
• Hydraulic systems (blue, then yellow and green) were recovered within seconds, restoring flight control surfaces to normal operating conditions.
• The flight crew decided to continue to the planned destination (Delhi) rather than diverting, landing safely at 05:30 UTC.
• 24 persons (20 passengers and 4 cabin crew) required medical assistance; 20 were discharged with minor injuries, and 4 were hospitalized for serious injuries.
• The aircraft sustained cabin damage, including cracked ceiling panels, dislocated overhead bins, broken handrails, and a broken emergency exit handle.
• The aircraft was dispatched under Minimum Equipment List (MEL) item No. 29-23-01A regarding the Power Transfer Unit (PTU), which had been invoked on 28 July 2026.
• Flight data and cockpit voice recorders were removed and are under analysis by the AAIB.

Also in the document

• The investigation is conducted under the Aircraft (Investigation of Accidents and Incidents) Rules, 2025, with the objective of preventing future accidents rather than apportioning blame.
• France (BEA) has appointed an Accredited Representative to assist in the investigation as the state of design and manufacture.
• The aircraft was a 2018 model with 26,837 total hours at the time of the incident.
• The report explicitly states that the information is preliminary and subject to change.