Air India plane makes emergency landing in Delhi

It was a close shave for around 150 passengers and crew on board a domestic Air India flight which had to be evacuated using emergency slide-chutes when it landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday with dense smoke coming out of it.

While Air India said there were a few sparks at the nose wheel but no fire, sources in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said there was a minor fire in the rear wheel which was doused quickly by ground staff. The aviation regulator also ordered a probe into the incident. Around six passengers sustained minor injuries during evacuation and were treated at the airport hospital.

Sources said Air India’s Khajuraho-Varanasi-Delhi flight 405 was around 80 miles (128km) from Delhi when Captain Tarang Gupta contacted air traffic control and sought permission for an emergency landing due to a hydraulic leak. The plane landed safely at 7.55pm.

“This resulted in a few sparks at the nose wheel. There was no fire. All 146 passengers were evacuated safely and taken to the terminal building. No passenger was injured,” said an AI spokesperson.

Sources said one of the rear tires had burst during landing and the ground staff towing the aircraft informed the pilot about smoke from the undercarriage. The captain then decided to evacuate passengers on the runway itself. “Inspite of the degraded status of the aircraft — the left thrust was not reversible and the stabilizer was jammed — the pilots must be commended for doing such a fine job,” a senior AI official said.

“The plane’s main hydraulic system, also known as the green hydraulic system, was at a low level, possibly due to a leak so the alternate braking system which does not have full anti-skid capability had to be used. When you use the alternate breaking system, chances of overheating are very high,” said a pilot who did not wish to be named.

“All passengers were served dinner and taken care of,” the AI spokesperson said.

Source:  http://www.hindustantimes.com

Air India flight catches fire while landing in Delhi

Around 150 people on board an Air India plane from Varanasi had a close shave on Monday night after it caught fire due to a hydraulic failure while landing under emergency conditions at the Delhi airport.

Five fliers suffered minor injuries during evacuation while passengers claimed that one of the emergency doors did not function, resulting in panic.

The pilot of the Delhi-bound AI-105 requested for landing under emergency conditions in the airport as he detected hydraulic failure. 

“There was some hydraulic problem and emergency landing was made by the pilot. After landing, some smoke was noticed in one of wheels and as per established procedure, passengers were evacuated through chute,” said Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani.

Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Civil Aviation, said, “The pilot came to know about the leak in hydraulic system in air itself when it was in the process of landing. The pilot conveyed it to the Air Traffic Control and all emergencies were declared.” 

Airport sources said the plane, an Airbus A320, had an emergency landing here as the pilot reported hydraulic failure. “A small fire was seen in the undercarriage of the aircraft after landing which was quickly doused,” they said.

However, Air India said there was a hydraulic leak but no fire. Lohani said passengers got first aid treatment at the airport itself. 

On injuries to passengers, he said they were not injured in aircraft but while coming down from the chute. “Some got scratches on elbows, nothing major,” he added.

A passenger, who identified himself as Abhishek Vyas, said one of the emergency gates did not open and this led to panic situation. “We were asked to evacuate right after landing, one of the emergency doors did not open,” he said. 

Rajendra Desai, another passenger, said, “We did not see fire but there was a lot of smoke.” 

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation will conduct an inquiry into the incident, an official said. Air India will also be asked to submit a report on the incident. 

Source:  http://www.deccanherald.com