Air India flight from Trichy to Sharjah with 140 passengers onboard landed safely at Trichy airport after it suffered a hydraulic failure on Friday.
The flight took off from Trichy airport at 5.43 pm but soon developed a technical snag.
“The Air India Express Flight IX 613 from Tiruchirapalli to Sharjah has landed safely at Tiruchirapalli airport. DGCA was monitoring the situation. The landing gear was opening. The flight has landed normally. The airport was put on alert mode,” MoCA said in a statement.
After developing snag, the Air India flight was asked to turn back but since it was not advisable to attempt a precautionary landing with full fuel on board, the pilots burned some of it by flying over the Trichy airspace.
“Air India flight from Trichy to Sharjah faced a technical problem (hydraulic failure) and is rounding in air space to decrease the fuel before landing at Trichy airport. More than 20 Ambulances and fire tenders are placed at the airport to make sure no big accident occurs,” Trichy Airport Director Gopalakrishnan said in a statement earlier.
The airport director said the pilot had alerted the air station about the hydraulic failure.
Meanwhile, Air India clarified in a statement that no emergency was declared by the operating crew as suggested by several media outlets.
“We are aware of media reports related to an Air India Express flight operating on the Tiruchirappalli – Sharjah route. We would like to clarify that no emergency was declared by the operating crew. After reporting a technical snag, the aircraft circled multiple times in the designated area as an abundant precaution, to reduce fuel and weight considering the runway length, before making a safe precautionary landing. The cause of the snag will be duly investigated. In the interim, an alternative aircraft is being arranged for the onward journey of our guests,” said an Air India Express Spokesperson.
As soon as the flight landed safely, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed relief and said he has directed the District Collector to ensure the safety of all the passengers and to provide further assistance.
“I am heartened to hear that the Air India Express flight has landed safely. Upon receiving news of the landing gear issue, I immediately coordinated an emergency meeting with officials over the phone and instructed them to implement all necessary safety measures, including deploying fire engines, ambulances, and medical assistance. I have also now directed the District Collector to ensure the continued safety of all the passengers and to provide further assistance. My compliments to the Captain and crew for the safe landing,” the CM posted on X.
With inputs from agencies
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