In a second serious safety scare within 38 hours of the June 12 crash of Air India flight AI 171 in Ahmedabad, a Delhi-Vienna Boeing 777 aircraft operating as AI 187 experienced multiple critical inflight warnings shortly after takeoff.
The incident occurred at 2:56 am on June 14, as the plane flew through severe thunderstorm conditions over the national capital, according to a report by ToI.
The wide-body aircraft, registered VT-ALJ, received a stall warning, along with two “don’t sink” cautions from the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), alerting the crew to an abnormal loss in altitude. Officials aware of the matter confirmed that the aircraft dropped approximately 900 feet during initial climb.
Though the flight ultimately landed safely in Vienna after 9 hours and 8 minutes, the near-disaster has triggered a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Both pilots have been taken off flying duty, and the airline’s head of safety has been summoned for questioning.
'Stick shaker' alert triggered urgent pilot response
According to officials, the crew received a stick shaker alert — a severe warning that violently shakes the flight controls and warns of an impending aerodynamic stall. This system is designed to immediately draw the pilots’ attention and demand corrective action.
“The aircraft was involved in an inflight occurrence of stick shaker and GPWS caution. Soon after takeoff, stick shaker warning and GPWS don’t sink caution appeared. Stall warning came once and GPWS caution came twice. There was an altitude loss of around 900 feet during climb. Subsequently, the crew recovered the aircraft and continued the flight to Vienna,” officials familiar with the incident told ANI.
The flight data, reviewed after the incident, revealed that the onboard systems issued multiple alerts — including those not fully reflected in the initial pilot report. The original flight report is said to have only mentioned "stick shaker due turbulence after takeoff," while omitting the ground proximity and stall warnings. It was only after flight data recorder (FDR) analysis that the full extent of the occurrence was discovered.
DGCA takes stern view as scrutiny intensifies post-crash
The incident came just days after the AI 171 tragedy, which left several people dead and raised urgent questions about Air India's operational safety. In response, the DGCA had launched enhanced oversight of the airline’s fleet and safety protocols.
An Air India spokesperson said: “Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation.”
As part of the fallout from the June 14 occurrence, both pilots were immediately off-rostered, and Air India’s head of safety was summoned by the regulator.
On June 17, the DGCA had formally expressed concern about “recent maintenance-related issues” and instructed the airline to enhance coordination across departments — engineering, operations, and ground handling — while reinforcing its focus on safety.
Industry insiders say the perception of safety at Air India has changed dramatically. “Old Air India (PSU time) did not have comfortable planes running on time but safety was never an issue. Now planes, at least the narrow body fleet, are better but passengers are apprehensive about safety after the terrible AI 171 crash. The new management and the new owner need to win back passenger and employee trust at the earliest by doing all it takes,” said one airline official.
The Vienna-bound aircraft continued onward to Toronto with a fresh crew after its stop in Europe. An investigation into the incident is underway.
(With inputs from ToI)
The incident occurred at 2:56 am on June 14, as the plane flew through severe thunderstorm conditions over the national capital, according to a report by ToI.
The wide-body aircraft, registered VT-ALJ, received a stall warning, along with two “don’t sink” cautions from the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS), alerting the crew to an abnormal loss in altitude. Officials aware of the matter confirmed that the aircraft dropped approximately 900 feet during initial climb.
Though the flight ultimately landed safely in Vienna after 9 hours and 8 minutes, the near-disaster has triggered a probe by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Both pilots have been taken off flying duty, and the airline’s head of safety has been summoned for questioning.
'Stick shaker' alert triggered urgent pilot response
According to officials, the crew received a stick shaker alert — a severe warning that violently shakes the flight controls and warns of an impending aerodynamic stall. This system is designed to immediately draw the pilots’ attention and demand corrective action.
“The aircraft was involved in an inflight occurrence of stick shaker and GPWS caution. Soon after takeoff, stick shaker warning and GPWS don’t sink caution appeared. Stall warning came once and GPWS caution came twice. There was an altitude loss of around 900 feet during climb. Subsequently, the crew recovered the aircraft and continued the flight to Vienna,” officials familiar with the incident told ANI.
The flight data, reviewed after the incident, revealed that the onboard systems issued multiple alerts — including those not fully reflected in the initial pilot report. The original flight report is said to have only mentioned "stick shaker due turbulence after takeoff," while omitting the ground proximity and stall warnings. It was only after flight data recorder (FDR) analysis that the full extent of the occurrence was discovered.
DGCA takes stern view as scrutiny intensifies post-crash
The incident came just days after the AI 171 tragedy, which left several people dead and raised urgent questions about Air India's operational safety. In response, the DGCA had launched enhanced oversight of the airline’s fleet and safety protocols.
An Air India spokesperson said: “Upon receipt of the pilot's report, the matter was disclosed to DGCA in accordance with regulations. Subsequently, upon receipt of data from the aircraft's recorders, further investigation was initiated. The pilots have been off-rostered pending the outcome of the investigation.”
As part of the fallout from the June 14 occurrence, both pilots were immediately off-rostered, and Air India’s head of safety was summoned by the regulator.
On June 17, the DGCA had formally expressed concern about “recent maintenance-related issues” and instructed the airline to enhance coordination across departments — engineering, operations, and ground handling — while reinforcing its focus on safety.
Industry insiders say the perception of safety at Air India has changed dramatically. “Old Air India (PSU time) did not have comfortable planes running on time but safety was never an issue. Now planes, at least the narrow body fleet, are better but passengers are apprehensive about safety after the terrible AI 171 crash. The new management and the new owner need to win back passenger and employee trust at the earliest by doing all it takes,” said one airline official.
The Vienna-bound aircraft continued onward to Toronto with a fresh crew after its stop in Europe. An investigation into the incident is underway.
(With inputs from ToI)
You may also like
Hockey India announces Sanjay-led India A men's squad for Europe tour
Wimbledon star beaten in first round responds to being told to retire immediately
Digital India made healthcare, education, business inclusive, innovative: Amit Shah
How Dubai's Smart Rental Index helps residents negotiate unfair rent hikes
Five feared killed in crackers factory blast in TN's Sivakasi
