Nearly 180 passengers and crew of an Air India flight had a narrow escape when the aircraft’s engine failed while taking off from the Karipur airport on Monday morning. The Dubai-bound flight was made to crash-land, leading to a full emergency at the airport.
Distress signals
Air India flight AI 937 carrying 173 passengers took off from Karipur at 10.45 a.m., and soon sent distress signals of engine failure. Air India officials said the take-off was aborted as the engine failure was detected before leaving the ground. Airport officials said that the engine failure was detected while taking off, and the flight had to be brought back for an emergency landing.
The aircraft’s tyres burst while crash-landing. The entire security system was kept on alert as the flight touched down unsteadily. The fire tenders of the State Fire Department too were brought to Karipur in view of an emergency.
Pilot hailed
Some of the passengers said that it was the pilot’s presence of mind which averted a situation that could have been disastrous. Airline officials said that the flight, Airbus A321, had been known for its consistency and dependability. The airline has 20 such flights in its fleet.
The flight was pushed back to the tarmac using a tug. The passengers were deboarded and allowed to rest at the airport. Air India carried them to Dubai on another flight in the evening.
