Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (EP)
Mangaluru, Sep 23: If the pilot had not applied technical expertise and presence of mind, it was possible that Air India Express IX 821 that was carrying over 173 passengers to Doha would have crashed. The passengers and crew have still not come out from the shock.
The flight that took off for Doha on Thursday evening, September 21, had made emergency landing in Mangaluru due to major technical failure within 45 minutes of its take-off.
The pilot with confidence had landed the aircraft even though it was running on a single engine. The act has received appreciation from all circles.
The pilot had sent emergency message to the airport ATS centre that an engine had stopped working within half an hour of take-off. There was anxiety in the airport after the message. Officials passed on the message to Bajpe police station and other concerned.
Bajpe police had received a message at about 6.20 pm that the plane will make emergency landing. Police had immediately rushed to the airport.
Emergency preparations had started in the airport soon after the message spread that the aircraft will make emergency landing. It was dangerous to land such a large plane with 173 passengers, luggage and staff when an engine gave up. The landing depends on the experience and technical knowledge of the pilot in such situation.
The pilot Athish Shinge hailing from Mumbai has fulfilled the task intelligently and with utmost care, experts agree without any arguments.
A retired wing commander of the Indian air force has blamed Air India for the failure. A plane should have a checklist before takeoff. If such tests are not done, there can be risks, he said.
The passengers in the aircraft had informed their relatives before emergency landing. Therefore some of their relatives who had come to see them off had returned to the airport.
The real reason for the technical failure is yet to be known. The aircraft has been kept in the airport for want of new engine which has to come from Thiruvananthapuram.
It is now revealed that when the aircraft was about to land finally, there was technical failure again as a wrong signal appeared instead of green signal at the airport which created more panic.