Snag-hit AI aircraft circles over Trichy for 2 hrs, lands safely
12.10.2024 TIMES OF INDIA
New Delhi : Air India Express’s Tiruchirapalli-Sharjah flight returned to land safely at origin in Tamil Nadu on Friday night after suffering a hydraulic snag due to which the landing gear of the Boeing 737 could not be retracted after take-off.
The Boeing 737 (VT-AYB) had left Trichy at 5.43 pm as IX613 with about 150 people on board. “Since the aircraft was fuelled up to fly to Sharjah, a long flight, the crew burnt fuel for well over two hours by circling nearby before landing. This was done to avoid overweight landing by coming below the maximum landing weight.
An overweight landing can damage the landing gear,” said sources. It landed safely at around 8.15 pm in Trichy after burning fuel. The pilots’ action is being commended. “While we are all trained for such situations in simulators, doing what is required when actually the time comes by keeping presence of mind is key. The pilots of IX613 did that on Friday,” said many pilots.
The airline described it as a “precautionary landing” due to the suspected snag. All precautionary steps, like lining up emergency vehicles along the runway, were made. An aviation ministry spokesperson said: “The aircraft has landed safely. The DGCA is monitoring (the situation). The landing gear was opening and i t landed normally. But the airport was alert and ready (for any situation).” TNN
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