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Trichy airport prepares for emergency landing as Sharjah-bound Air India flight reports hydraulic failure
Public Lokpal
October 12, 2024
Trichy airport prepares for emergency landing as Sharjah-bound Air India flight reports hydraulic failure
CHENNAI: An Air India Express Sharjah-bound flight from Tiruchirappalli experienced a mid-air technical glitch shortly after takeoff on Friday, forcing the plane to circle multiple times in the sky to reduce fuel and weight before landing safely, according to the airline's spokesperson.
The flight, which took off at 5.30 pm from Tiruchirappalli with 141 passengers, landed safely at around 8.15 pm.
Immediately after taking off, the aircraft experienced a fault related to hydraulic systems, the landing gear.
An Air India Express spokesperson said,"...we would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew. After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing.
"The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests. We regret the inconvenience and reiterate our commitment to prioritising safety in every aspect of our operations."
In a statement, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the airport and emergency teams responded swiftly and effectively after a full emergency was declared at 18.05 hours.
Aviation regulator DGCA is set to conduct a thorough examination of the hydraulic failure in the Tiruchirappalli-Sharjah flight to ascertain the cause of the glitch.
A senior Boeing pilot said that narrow body planes like Boeing 737 do not have the option to dump fuel and can only burn fuel.
So, in this case, the aircraft had to go around to burn fuel and bring down the overall weight.
In emergency conditions, the pilot said overweight landing could be permitted but that option is exercised by the operating crew only if there are criticial issues like fire.
The option to eject fuel is available in wide body planes like Boeing 777 and 787.
The flight IX 613 was operated with a Boeing 737 aircraft.
Under the regulations, an aircraft can only have a specified weight at the time of landing for the safety purpose.
Earlier, as part of protocol, fire tenders, rescue personnel and ambulances had been rushed to the airport.
Aviation regulator DGCA was monitoring the situation.
