An Air India plane flying from Delhi to Bengaluru was forced to stop flying after its tail hit the runway while landing at the airport on Thursday.
Officials familiar with the incident from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said they have begun their investigation into the matter. “The active pilots have been removed from the list pending investigation,” an official said.
Air India confirmed the incident and said: “Flight AI2651, which was flying from Delhi to Bengaluru on May 21, suffered a tail strike during landing. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked normally.”
She added: “The plane was stopped for a detailed examination. The accident will be investigated in accordance with established procedures, in coordination with the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Read also | Air India flight declares full emergency at Delhi airport, with engine fire suspected
The airline also confirmed that as a result of the incident, its onward flight AI2652 from Bengaluru to Delhi has been cancelled.
“Alternative arrangements are being made to accommodate the affected passengers as soon as possible… Air India regrets the inconvenience caused. The safety of our passengers and crew remains our top priority,” the airline spokesperson said.
A second official said: “The accident occurred due to air turbulence. The pilots decided to turn around at the last minute because of that.” “A B747 cargo plane just took off before the Air India flight tried to land. Then the A321 plane spun due to wing turbulence,” another official said.
Fire in the plane’s engine
Flight AI 2802 from Bengaluru to Delhi declared a complete emergency at Delhi airport due to a fire in one of its engines. It landed safely on runway 29R at around 9.30pm. But the plane, which had 171 passengers on board, had to be withdrawn.
An Air India spokesperson said: “…During the aircraft’s final approach to Delhi, the cockpit crew received a fire signal from one of the engines. The signal was later confirmed to be correct. The crew followed all standard operating procedures and landed the aircraft safely at Delhi airport. All passengers and crew are safe and have deplaned normally.”
“Air India will immediately initiate a full investigation into the cause of the accident.”
