The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and other concerned agencies launched a probe after a metal piece, which reportedly fell from a plane, was found in a Delhi locality earlier this week.
The metal, found in the national capital, is suspected to be from an Air India Express flight that made a precautionary landing at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on September 2. “This has yet to be confirmed. An inspection report of the aircraft is pending. Only after the report is submitted will we determine if anything is missing from the aircraft,” a DCP West official said in a statement.
In a statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said that the flight encountered an engine issue after takeoff. The airline added the matter has been reported to the DGCA and other concerned agencies, with an ongoing investigation to establish the facts.
“An Air India Express flight IX 145 on 2nd September encountered an engine issue after takeoff from Delhi. The failure was managed in accordance with laid-down procedures, and a precautionary landing was conducted at Delhi,” the airline said.
“The matter has been reported to the regulator and other concerned agencies and is currently under investigation. We are aware of reports of metal pieces being found at Shankar Vihar. At this time, we cannot confirm if these metal pieces are from our aircraft. The investigation is ongoing to establish the facts,” it added.
Fragments of an aircraft that took off from Delhi’s IGI Airport were found in Vasant Kunj on the night of September 2. Reports suggest the part might be a broken engine blade. The incident led to panic, and the Air Traffic Control (ATC) alerted the pilots of all planes scheduled to take off during that time period.
After a lengthy process, the aircraft was identified as Air India Express flight IX-145, bound for Bahrain. The ATC contacted the pilot, who was instructed to return to the airport, and all passengers and crew members were reported safe upon landing.
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