The Air India Express Flight IX 613 from Tiruchirappalli to Sharjah could not retract its landing gear. The landing gear, a set of wheels and other parts that support a plane, has to be retracted to improve aerodynamics of the aircraft and reduce drag. Photo: Special Arrangement
An Air India Express Boeing 737 NG aircraft operating a flight from Trichy to Sharjah with 140 passengers onboard circled over the airport for nearly three hours before making a safe return.
The DGCA is investigating the incident, a senior official said.
Flight IX 613 took off from Trichy at 5.40 p.m. on Friday and started circling the airport minutes later as the pilots were trying to burn fuel before returning to the airport. It finally landed back safely at 8.30 p.m.
An airline source said that there was a hydraulic failure warning in the cockpit, following which the pilots out of abundant caution decided to return the airport.
“Aircraft made a normal landing and all passengers are safe,” Airport Director G. Gopalakrishnan told The Hindu.
Ambulances and first responders rushed to the airport after the Air India Express flight from Tiruchi-Sharjah was grounded due to a technical glitch.
| Photo Credit:
M. Moorthy
“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,” a spokesperson of Air India Express said.
Responding to media reports that the circling of the airport by the aircraft in order to burn fuel was because of an extended landing gear, an airline source said that the landing gear had retracted after take off.
Safety remains our highest priority: Civil Aviation Minister
Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naiduin an X post said: “Air India Express flight AXB- 613 has safely landed at Trichy Airport following a hydraulic failure. The crew and emergency ground teams acted swiftly to ensure the safety of all 141 passengers on board.”
He added that Air India Express had been advised to make necessary arrangements for the passengers’ onward travel. “Safety remains our highest priority in every operation.”
Safety aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganathan said, “It seems that either the engineer or the pilot didn’t conduct a walkaround before the take-off, and they forgot to remove the landing gear pin. That could be the reason why pilots had to circle the airport and reduce the weight of the aircraft to less than maximum landing weight. Otherwise, if it was just an issue of extended landing gear the pilots could have done an overweight landing.”
Pins are inserted into the nose and main landing gear when the aircraft is on the ground to prevent inadvertent gear retraction during maintenance or towing and must be removed before a take off.
Published – October 11, 2024 08:33 pm IST
