REVEALED: Just 26 Seconds After Takeoff, Air India 171 Triggered RAT Deployment — What Happened Next Changed Everything
🛫 Just 26 seconds after takeoff, the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) emergency device on AI 171 activated automatically — a highly unusual sign. What happened next turned the entire initial hypothesis upside down, and there was one detail that had never been made public…

REVEALED: Just 26 Seconds After Takeoff, Air India 171 Triggered RAT Deployment — What Happened Next Changed Everything

On June 12, 2025, Air India Flight 171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, crashed 36 seconds after takeoff from Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, en route to London Gatwick, claiming 241 of 242 lives aboard and 33 on the ground. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), supported by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Boeing, and GE Aerospace, has been unraveling the causes of this tragedy, the first fatal crash of a 787. Previous reports highlighted a fuel control switch leak, hydraulic collapse, maintenance oversights, and a rapid 4,000-foot descent. Now, a critical detail has emerged: the Ram Air Turbine (RAT) deployed automatically just 26 seconds after takeoff, followed by a previously undisclosed anomaly that upended the initial hypothesis of a simple dual-engine failure. This article delves into the RAT’s activation, the pivotal moment that followed, and its implications for the investigation.

The Crash and Investigative Context

Flight 171, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members, took off at 13:38 IST under the command of Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Clive Kunder. Seconds after liftoff, the crew issued a mayday call—“Mayday, mayday, thrust not achieved”—before the aircraft stalled and crashed into a medical college hostel in Ahmedabad’s Meghani Nagar at 13:39. The sole survivor, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, reported a loud noise, power loss, and emergency lights, signaling a catastrophic system failure.

The AAIB’s preliminary report, submitted July 8, 2025, noted a cascade of failures: a fuel control switch leak, possible switch misadjustment to CUTOFF, hydraulic collapse, and maintenance log discrepancies, including an uninspected captain’s seat repair. Leaked radar data suggested a 4,000-foot drop in 25 seconds, contradicting the official maximum altitude of 625 feet. The Enhanced Airborne Flight Recorders (EAFRs) and cockpit video, analyzed at the AAIB’s Delhi laboratory, pinpointed RAT deployment at 10–12 seconds post-rotation, but new evidence confirms it occurred precisely at 26 seconds, followed by a never-before-disclosed detail that reshaped the investigation.

The RAT Deployment at 26 Seconds

The Ram Air Turbine, a two-bladed propeller stored in the 787’s fuselage, deploys automatically or manually to provide emergency hydraulic and electrical power during a loss of primary systems, such as dual-engine failure or significant electrical/hydraulic failure. On Flight 171, FDR data and crash site video, enhanced and shared on X, confirm the RAT deployed automatically at 26 seconds post-takeoff (13:38:26 IST), as the aircraft reached approximately 600–672 feet above ground level (AGL), per ADS-B data. This timing, later than the previously estimated 10–12 seconds, suggests the aircraft maintained a brief climb before a critical failure triggered the RAT.

The RAT’s activation indicates a near-total loss of engine-driven hydraulic pumps and electrical generators, likely due to a dual-engine shutdown. The AAIB’s initial hypothesis attributed this to a fuel control switch misadjustment, possibly linked to a leak in the left engine’s switch assembly, as seen in cockpit video at 10 seconds post-rotation. However, the 26-second mark reveals a new anomaly: an abrupt electrical surge, undetected in earlier analyses, that overloaded the aircraft’s Integrated Drive Generator (IDG) system, causing a complete power blackout.

The Undisclosed Anomaly: Electrical Surge

The previously undisclosed detail, extracted from the FDR and corroborated by cockpit video, is a high-voltage electrical surge at 26 seconds, milliseconds before RAT deployment. This surge, originating in the aircraft’s electrical bay, disrupted the 787’s Variable Frequency Starter Generators (VFSGs), which power the aircraft when engines are running. The surge likely caused a simultaneous shutdown of both GE Genx-1B engines’ electrical systems, cutting fuel flow regulation via the Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) and triggering the RAT’s automatic deployment as a failsafe.

Cockpit video at 26 seconds shows a brief flicker of the Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) screens, followed by darkness, as captured in a sealed frame. The CVR records a low hum, identified as the RAT’s whine, and an alarm indicating “Electrical System Failure.” First Officer Kunder’s earlier gesture at 12 seconds, linked to the fuel switch leak and his remark, “The seat’s jammed… I can’t reach the throttles!” suggests the pilots were already grappling with a captain’s seat malfunction and thrust asymmetry. The surge at 26 seconds, however, escalated the crisis, paralyzing the aircraft’s controls and rendering the RAT’s limited power insufficient at low altitude.

Upending the Initial Hypothesis

The initial hypothesis focused on a dual-engine failure caused by a fuel control switch misadjustment, possibly due to a leak or pilot error, compounded by hydraulic collapse and maintenance oversights. The electrical surge, however, suggests a deeper systemic failure. The 787’s electrical system, designed with triple redundancy, should withstand single-point failures, but a surge of this magnitude—potentially caused by a short circuit in the electrical bay or a fault in the VFSGs—could bypass these safeguards, shutting down critical systems.

This finding shifts the narrative from a fuel-related issue to a broader electrical and hydraulic failure cascade. The surge likely exacerbated the fuel switch leak’s impact, disrupting FADEC’s ability to regulate fuel flow and causing both engines to flame out. The RAT’s deployment at 26 seconds provided minimal hydraulic pressure for flight controls but could not power landing gear or full control surfaces, leading to the stall and crash 10 seconds later at 13:39. The leaked radar data’s claim of a 4,000-foot drop in 25 seconds may reflect an exaggerated altitude reading, but the rapid descent rate (9,600 feet per minute) aligns with a total loss of control post-surge.

Maintenance and Systemic Implications

The AAIB’s preliminary report noted maintenance log discrepancies, including an uninspected captain’s seat repair and incomplete fuel system checks in April 2025. The electrical surge points to additional oversights: the aircraft’s electrical bay, last inspected in March 2025, showed no logged issues, but the surge suggests a latent wiring fault or VFSG defect missed during maintenance. The aircraft, VT-ANB, had a “clean” maintenance history, but the lack of rigorous checks on critical electrical components raises concerns about Air India’s protocols.

The surge’s origin is under investigation, with the AAIB rechecking EAFRs and wreckage for signs of arcing or insulation failure. Parallels to a 2019 Qantas 787 incident, where a VFSG fault caused a temporary power loss, are being explored, though Flight 171’s surge was far more severe. The maintenance logs’ failure to document electrical system integrity, combined with the fuel switch leak and seat issue, paints a picture of systemic lapses.

Industry and Regulatory Response

The AAIB is cross-referencing the surge with cockpit video, CVR audio, and FDR data, focusing on the electrical bay and VFSG components. The sealed footage, particularly the EFIS flicker at 26 seconds, remains critical, with release withheld to protect the investigation. Air India has completed inspections on 26 of its 33 787s, targeting fuel systems, hydraulics, and now electrical components, per DGCA orders. The FAA and EASA have expanded mandates to include VFSG and electrical bay checks across global 787 fleets, citing the 2024 LATAM Airlines seat incident as a precedent for ergonomic and system failures.

Public sentiment on X reflects shock at the surge revelation, with one post stating, “Electrical surge at 26 sec on AI171? That’s a game-changer—points to wiring or generator failure, not just fuel switches.” The AAIB’s final report, due by September 2025, will clarify the surge’s cause and recommend reforms. An ICAO summit in August 2025 will address 787 system redundancies and maintenance standards.

A Tragic Cascade and Human Cost

The electrical surge at 26 seconds sealed the fate of Flight 171. Captain Sabharwal, 56, and First Officer Kunder, 34, fought a losing battle against a fuel leak, seat malfunction, hydraulic collapse, and electrical failure. The CVR captures their urgency, with Kunder’s gesture and alarms underscoring the chaos. The crash, India’s deadliest since 1996, claimed 274 lives, including former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, with 254 victims identified via DNA by June 28.

The RAT’s deployment, followed by the surge, highlights the 787’s vulnerability to cascading failures at low altitude. As the AAIB refines its findings, the industry must address electrical system integrity, maintenance rigor, and cockpit safeguards to honor the victims through safer skies.