Debugging: The Air India Flight Incident at Trichy

The Air India Express Flight AXB613 took off from Trichy International Airport on 11 October 2024. Let’s see what happened after the takeoff, why the pilot had to do an emergency landing and what we can learn from this incident. 

Timeline of the events: 

The Air India Express flight took off from Trichy International Airport.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight crew reported a hydraulic failure. This system is essential for operating the landing gear. The plane’s landing gear failed to retract, or fold. 

The pilots, prioritizing passenger safety, decided to return to the airport for an emergency landing and started the emergency procedures: To reduce the aircraft's weight for a safer landing, the pilots decided to circle the airport to burn off excess fuel. The aircraft circled the airport for approximately two hours to burn off excess fuel. 

The crew prepared the aircraft for an emergency landing, following an established checklist. 

Meanwhile, on the ground, Emergency response teams at Trichy airport were on standby and prepared to assist. A full emergency was declared at the airport.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was involved in monitoring the whole situation. 

The aircraft successfully landed on the runway at Trichy airport and thankfully no injuries were reported among the 144 passengers and crew on board.

Post this event The DGCA has been directed to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the hydraulic failure. Also, the aviation regulator will examine the aircraft and review flight data to determine the factors that led to the emergency landing.

Takeaways

This incident highlights the importance of emergency preparedness and the skill of pilots in handling critical situations. It is very crucial for pilots to keep their cool and presence of mind. By the nature of vigorous training, they go through to attain their CPL, it becomes second nature for the pilots to stay calm and follow the process under stress. 

The successful landing was a result of the combined efforts of the flight crew, airport authorities, and emergency response teams.