
21/06/2025
INDIAN AIRCRAFT CRASH
RAT detected in Air India 171 Flight
1. What is RAT in an aircraft?
RAT stands for Ram Air Turbine. It is a small backup propeller that comes out during an emergency. If a plane loses its main power (from engines or the APU), the RAT drops into the airflow and starts spinning. This spinning helps generate emergency power or pressure to keep important systems working, like flight controls and instruments, so the pilots can still try to fly and land the plane safely.
2. How is RAT linked to the Air India crash (Ahmedabad to London)?
In the case of Air India Flight 171, the RAT came out shortly after takeoff. This means the plane had a serious and sudden power failure – likely both engines stopped working – very early in the flight. The RAT’s activation is a clear sign that the aircraft was in deep trouble, and it was trying to stay controllable using emergency systems. So, the RAT tells us that the plane was in a critical situation and that something went very wrong right after takeoff.