What Happens When A Plane Suffers A Hydraulic Failure?

An Air India Express flight from Trichy to Sharjah safely landed after encountering a hydraulic failure at Trichy airport. Prior to the landing, Airport Director Gopalakrishnan noted that over 20 ambulances and fire tenders were stationed to prevent any major accident. He also stated that precautionary measures were taken to ensure passenger safety during the emergency landing.

The aircraft made 21 circles before finally landing. The 140 passengers on board were not initially informed about the specific issue, with the captain only announcing a technical fault and promising a safe landing soon.

It was only after landing, when family members began contacting the passengers, that they learned the plane had experienced a hydraulic gear failure, which caused significant concern and anxiety among them.

What Are Aviation Hydraulics?

For those unfamiliar, aviation hydraulic systems are integral to a plane’s ability to take off, fly, and land. While pneumatic systems can also be used, hydraulic systems are more commonly employed as they provide greater reliability.

These systems control vital functions such as brakes, flaps, thrust reversers, flight controls, and landing gear by offering the ideal amount of pressure needed for safe operations. Hydraulics are favored because they use non-compressible fluids, ensuring immediate and precise movement, which is crucial in the sensitive context of flying.

What Happens During Hydraulic Failure In Aircraft?

Hydraulic systems work by transmitting force through an incompressible fluid, typically oil. This force is usually multiplied during the process, with one piston moving as pressure is applied to another via a fluid-filled cylinder. Since the fluid is incompressible, efficiency is high, with most of the applied force being transferred.

In aviation, hydraulics are essential for controlling an aircraft’s direction and altitude. In the event of a complete hydraulic failure, pilots would lose the ability to turn the plane or adjust its altitude.

In such situations, some pilots can manage limited control by adjusting engine power, but only if the engines are wing-mounted. However, only a few pilots possess the skill and composure to handle such a scenario. Smaller aircraft may have manual flight controls, but larger planes are almost entirely reliant on hydraulic systems. Fortunately, most large aircraft are equipped with multiple hydraulic systems, making total failure extremely rare.

4 Common Causes Of Hydraulic System Failure

Hydraulic Fluid Contamination: Contaminated hydraulic fluid is a major cause of pump failure, leading to premature wear of pumps and valves. Ensuring clean components and fluids can prevent these failures.

Heat-Aging: Overheating can cause hydraulic hoses to thermally expand, weakening the material and making hoses brittle. This eventually leads to early hose failure.

General Abrasion: Even though many hoses have abrasion-resistant covers, improper installation can lead to excessive friction with other components, resulting in premature hose failure.

Incorrect Insertion Depth: Improper assembly, particularly failing to insert fittings to the correct depth, is a common cause of hose assembly failure. This can reduce the connection’s strength, leading to dangerous hose blowouts under pressure, potentially harming operators.

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