Close shave for 136 passengers as smoke fills Jaipur-Kolkata IndiGo flight mid-air – Watch shocking video
The pilot of the Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320neo plane had to reportedly issue a 'Mayday' call following which the aircraft made an emergency landing in Kolkata.
Kolkata: A Jaipur-Kolkata IndiGo flight with 136 passengers aboard on Monday made an emergency landing in Kolkata after smoke fille up in the plane's cabin mid-air. The government has issued a probe into the incident. A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official on Tuesday said no passenger was injured in the incident.
The pilot of the Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320 Neo plane had to reportedly issue a 'Mayday' call (which is made to seek emergency help in times of distress). The plane then made an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport and some of the passengers were evacuated using emergency chutes.
"The IndiGo aircraft VT ITR was about 45 miles off Kolkata when the smoke engulfed the aircraft. Amid the passengers' safety in danger, the pilot issued Mayday and sought an emergency landing at the Kolkata airport," PTI mentioned the source as saying.
As the flight landed at Kolkata, some passengers were evacuated via the "aft exit deployed slides". IndiGo confirmed the incident and issued a statement: "An IndiGo flight (A320 aircraft) 6E-237 operating on Jaipur-Kolkata route made an emergency landing as a precaution at Kolkata due to suspected smoke in the cabin.”
However, it added that there was no report of any malfunctioning in the aircraft in the past. Notably, the Airbus A320neo planes have been grappling with glitches mid-air and on the ground since their induction into fleets worldwide.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Board (AAIB), which comes under the Civil Aviation Ministry, has initiated an investigation into the incident. The airline has also been asked to furnish a preliminary report after a thorough technical inspection.