India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
An
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
returned
to
Indira
Gandhi
International
Airport
shortly
after
takeoff
on
22
December
after
the
crew
noticed
low
engine
oil
pressure
in
the
right
engine,
according
to
officials.
The
aircraft,
operating
as
AI887,
landed
safely
back
in
Delhi,
where
all
passengers
and
crew
were
taken
off
the
plane
without
any
reported
injuries.
Air
India
said
the
affected
aircraft
is
undergoing
technical
checks
after
the
diversion.
The
airline
apologised
to
passengers
for
the
disruption
and
said
alternative
travel
options
were
being
arranged
so
that
everyone
reached
Mumbai.
The
Tata-owned
carrier
also
stressed
that
the
“safety
and
wellbeing” of
the
passengers
and
the
crew
remains
Air
India’s
top
priority.
On
December
22,
an
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight,
AI887,
returned
to
Delhi
shortly
after
takeoff
due
to
low
engine
oil
pressure,
leading
to
a
safe
landing
and
passenger
disembarkation,
and
the
Directorate
General
of
Civil
Aviation
is
now
examining
the
incident.
Additionally,
an
Air
India
Express
flight
from
Vijayawada
to
Visakhapatnam
was
canceled
last
week
due
to
a
technical
snag,
with
passengers
including
notable
figures
receiving
alternative
travel
arrangements.
India
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight:
airline
statement
and
crew
action
Explaining
the
sequence
of
events,
Air
India
said:
“The
crew
operating
flight
AI887
from
Delhi
to
Mumbai
on
22
December
decided
to
return
to
Delhi
shortly
after
take-off
due
to
a
technical
issue
as
per
standard
operating
procedure.
The
aircraft
landed
safely
at
Delhi
and
the
passengers
and
crew
have
disembarked,”
the
statement
read.
“The
aircraft
is
undergoing
the
necessary
checks.
Our
ground
team
at
Delhi
is
providing
immediate
assistance
to
the
passengers
and
alternative
arrangements
have
been
made
to
fly
them
to
their
destination
shortly.”
The
Directorate
General
of
Civil
Aviation
is
also
examining
the
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
case.
The
DGCA
said
the
matter
will
be
probed
by
the
airline’s
permanent
investigation
board.
Findings
from
this
internal
board
are
expected
to
support
the
broader
regulatory
assessment
of
the
technical
problem
reported
on
the
Boeing
B777-300ER.
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight:
official
probe
and
ministry
response
The
Civil
Aviation
Ministry
said
it
has
taken
note
of
the
Delhi-Mumbai
incident
and
has
asked
Air
India
and
the
DGCA
for
a
detailed
report
after
a
full
investigation.
The
ministry
also
directed
the
airline
to
offer
complete
support
to
affected
passengers
and
to
place
them
on
later
services
where
possible,
ensuring
minimal
disruption
to
travel
plans.
Further
technical
details
of
the
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
diversion
were
shared
by
authorities.
“Today,
Air
India
B777-300ER
aircraft
VT-ALS
operating
flight
AIC
887
(Delhi-Mumbai)
was
involved
in
an
air
turnback
as
during
flap
retraction
after
take-off,
the
flight
crew
observed
low
engine
oil
pressure
on
Engine
No.
2
(Right-Hand
engine).
Shortly
thereafter,
the
engine
oil
pressure
dropped
to
zero.
Following
the
procedure,
the
crew
shut
down
the
No.
2
engine
and
the
aircraft
landed
safely
at
Delhi.
Inspection/rectification
is
in
progress,”
it
added.
Recent
events
show
that
the
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
issue
is
not
the
only
technical
case
involving
the
broader
Air
India
group.
Last
week,
an
Air
India
Express
service
between
Vijayawada
and
Visakhapatnam
was
cancelled
on
the
ground
at
Gannavaram
Airport
after
a
technical
snag
was
detected
during
taxiing.
The
flight
had
been
scheduled
to
operate
from
Vijayawada
to
Visakhapatnam.
| Flight | Route | Date |
Issue Reported |
Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AI887 / AIC 887 |
Delhi-Mumbai |
22 December |
Low engine oil pressure on Engine No. 2 |
Returned to Delhi, safe landing |
|
Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam flight |
Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam |
Last week |
Engine-related technical issue during taxi |
Flight cancelled at ramp |
Vijayawada
airport
director
Lakshmikanth
Reddy
told
PTI
that
the
Air
India
Express
aircraft
reported
an
engine
problem
while
taxiing,
which
led
to
the
return
to
the
bay
and
later
cancellation.
Former
Vice
President
M
Venkaiah
Naidu,
Andhra
Pradesh
Agriculture
Minister
K
Atchennaidu
and
senior
YSRCP
leader
B
Satyanarayana
were
among
the
booked
passengers
on
that
sector.
Air
India
Express
said
that,
similar
to
the
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
case,
the
decision
was
taken
with
safety
as
the
top
concern.
“In
the
interest
of
safety,
our
Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam
flight
returned
to
the
ramp
after
the
pilot
identified
a
technical
issue
prior
to
departure.
The
flight
was
subsequently
cancelled,”
it
said
in
a
statement.
The
airline
added
that
passengers
received
alternative
arrangements
and
were
also
offered
an
apology
for
the
inconvenience.
Both
the
Air
India
Delhi-Mumbai
flight
diversion
and
the
Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam
cancellation
highlight
how
crews
are
following
safety
procedures
when
faults
appear.
Regulators
and
the
ministry
are
now
awaiting
detailed
investigation
reports,
while
affected
passengers
have
been
shifted
to
other
flights
or
given
alternate
plans
to
complete
their
journeys.
