Emirates Airlines aircraft: Smoke alarm. Kolkata airport, India.

TNN | Sep 11, 2011, 05.34AM IST

KOLKATA: Smoke emitting from an Emirates aircraft after it landed on Saturday morning caused an alarm at Kolkata airport. Though fire tenders were rushed to the parking bay, the smoke ceased on its own. The plane later took off after engineers repaired a minor snag. The aircraft was undergoing routine checks when staff noticed smoke emitting from the rear of the aircraft. While 209 passengers bound for Dubai were yet to board the aircraft, the 13-member crew was asked to disembark immediately. Fire tenders reached the spot immediately but were not called into action as the smoke petered out. Later, engineers found that a crack in the lubricant chamber of the plane's auxiliary power unit (APU) had caused a leak and the smoke.

tnn Though the leakage was plugged, Directorate General of Civil Aviation cleared the aircraft on the condition that the APU would remain shut during the flight. The APU is primarily required to power essential systems of the aircraft when its engines are idle on the ground.

The plane finally took off for Dubai at 11am, one hour and 20 minutes behind schedule.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com