After mid-air glitch, Air India Express flight lands safely at Trichy
An Air India Express (AIX) flight with 140 people on board developed problems after take-off from the Tiruchirapalli airport on Friday and landed back safely.
An Air India Express (AIX) flight with 140 people on board developed problems after take-off from the Tiruchirapalli airport on Friday and landed back safely after it burnt off fuel for two-and-a-half anxious hours in a holding pattern over the city.
Officials at the airport prepared for an emergency, with a fleet of ambulances and firefighting vehicles readied, although the airline clarified that no emergency was declared by the pilots of the flight, AIX613 to Sharjah.
“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,” said an AIX spokesperson.
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“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,” the company official added.
Flight tracking websites showed the Boeing 737 jet circling at an altitude of 4,400 feet for close to two-and-a-half hours.
An official aware of the matter, while asking not to be named, said “the pilot found the landing gear was not retracting due to which he decided to land back at Trichy as a precaution”.
A second official, who is with the Airports Authority of India (AAI), added that the snag was detected immediately after the plane took at 5.43pm. “A belly landing (when a plane lands without its landing gear) was suggested. But the landing gear was opening so the flight could land normally. An internal investigation will be conducted,” said this person, asking not to be named.
The aircraft landed at 8.15 pm, this person added.
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Preparations for a belly landing can include foam and water sprays on the runway to reduce friction and fire risk, and emergency response vehicles to be stationed close by and medical personnel on alert. Since belly landings can trigger sparks, pilots procedurally dump fuel to minimise the risk of explosion.
In this case, as the airline official’s response indicated, the plane also had to shed weight due to the length of the runway.
A statement from a senior government official suggested the problem may have been with the aircraft’s hydraulics, a system that controls moving parts of an aircraft, such as the landing gear and flaps.
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 6.05pm. “The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been instructed to conduct a thorough examination of the aircraft to determine the exact cause of the hydraulic issue. In the meantime, Air India Express has been advised to provide all necessary assistance to the passengers, including alternate arrangements for their onward journey,” Naidu said.
The minister also said the crew followed all safety protocols, ensuring the well-being of every passenger during the emergency.
Families were informed of the status around 6pm.
Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin said that the state government had convened an emergency meeting. “I am heartened to hear that the #AirIndiaExpress flight has landed safely,” Stalin posted on X. “Upon receiving news of the landing gear issue, I immediately coordinated an emergency meeting with officials over the phone and instructed them to implement all necessary safety measures, including deploying fire engines, ambulances, and medical assistance.”
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