Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has sought a detailed report from the Air India Express after its flight from Abu Dhabi to Kozhikode (Calicut) was forced to return to its originating airport due to an engine failure on Friday.
“We have begun investigating the matter and have sought a detailed report of the incident,” a DGCA official told HT.
The incident took place when the Kozhikode-bound Air India Express flight IX 348 with 184 passengers on board was taking off.
DGCA officials said that the B737-800 plane was involved in an air turnback, which refers to a situation where an aircraft is forced to land at the departure airport, due to a flameout in its engine number one while it was climbing 1000 feet above the ground.
Flameout means the run-down of an engine due to flame extinction in its combustor due to causes such as low ambient temperatures.
Officials said that the stranded passengers were lodged at a hotel and a separate aircraft was expected to fly them back from Abu Dhabi early Saturday.
In a statement, the airline blamed “a technical snag” in one of the engines for the air turnback without specifying the exact reason for it.
“Air India Express flight returned to Abu Dhabi airport following a technical snag in one of the engines. The technical snag was identified while taking off and the aircraft landed back safely, following all laid down procedures, in Abu Dhabi International Airport. This event has been reported to the regulatory authorities as per protocol, and alternate arrangements are being made for the guests. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests on board,” the airline’s statement said.
Officials close to the matter told HT that an alternate aircraft, a B737-800 is scheduled to take off from Thiruvananthapuram at 10pm. The flying time between the two airports is four hours.
“The ferry flight will land in Abu Dhabi only after midnight. While the time of departure from Abu Dhabi is yet to be finalised, the passengers are expected to reach Kozhikode early morning,” the official said.
