A mid-air fire warning followed by the announcement of a Mayday call triggered panic among passengers on a Delhi-Mumbai Air India flight moments before its scheduled landing on Tuesday, news agency IANS reported. The report said a fire malfunction on one of the engines powering the Airbus A320neo triggered the emergency declaration in a tense situation from the crew and passengers on board.
The pilots promptly made a Mayday distress call to the Mumbai air traffic control, signalling the gravity of the situation, the report said citing sources. The aircraft descended towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, as passengers waited anxiously, however, the flight landed safely.
After a thorough inspection, Air India reported that no evidence of fire or smoke was detected, bringing a sense of relief to all involved. In a statement on Wednesday, an Air India spokesperson said the flight landed uneventfully and no signs of fire or smoke were detected upon inspection.
The Air India spokesperson addressed the incident and said, "AI814 operating Delhi to Mumbai on 19 December 2023 experienced a fire warning indication on one of its engines. As a precaution, an emergency was declared, and air traffic control was informed. The flight landed uneventfully, and upon inspection, no signs of fire or smoke were detected."
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive investigation into this alarming incident. The event has also sparked heightened concerns regarding the safety of CFM engines, commonly utilised in numerous commercial aircraft, drawing attention to the need for stringent safety measures and assessments.
According to a CNBC report, following the incident until the checks were thoroughly concluded, the runway was temporarily inaccessible for operations. The disruption lasted for approximately 20 minutes. As a result, one of the flights was diverted.
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