‘Mayday': Guwahati-Chennai flight aborts landing, runs thin on fuel
Representative image
CHENNAI/ BENGALURU: An
IndiGo
flight from Guwahati to Chennai with 168 passengers on board made an emergency landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru on Thursday night after the captain gave a 'Mayday' (distress) call due to insufficient fuel.
The pilot of IndiGo flight 6E-6764 (A321), which took off from Guwahati at 4.40pm, attempted to land at Chennai around 7.45pm, but decided to 'go around' after the landing gear touched the runway in a procedure called 'balked landing'. 'About 35 miles from Bengaluru airport, the captain made a 'Mayday' call,' said a source familiar with the development.
The source said it appeared to be an 'unstabilised approach'. 'The sudden and steep climb had many passengers on the edge of their seats, some visibly frightened,' said a passenger who did not wish to be named.
Multiple sources at the airport and ATC confirmed that the pilot did not attempt a second approach, he instead decided to fly to Bengaluru.
Sources in KIA said: 'After getting the distress call, the ATC alerted the on-ground staff members who swung into action. Medical and fire services personnel were in place. The aircraft landed safely at 8.20pm.'
A source said both the pilots have been taken off the roster, but IndiGo refused to confirm the information.
The airline said the flight was diverted to Bengaluru because of traffic congestion at Chennai airport – a claim that Chennai ATC disputed.
'It appears that the plane, after the 'go around', did not have the mandatory minimum diversion fuel',' said a source. IndiGo refused to confirm if the pilot made the 'Mayday' call.
After landing at Bengaluru at 8.20pm, the crew announced that the flight would leave for Chennai after refuelling. A different set of pilots flew the plane to Chennai, where it landed at 11.25pm.
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