Kolkata: A ‘mini explosion’ was observed in a Bengaluru-bound IndiGo Flight minutes after take-off from the Kolkata Airport, which led to serious concerns among the officials for public safety. In the latest development in the matter, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has decided to launch an investigation to launch a thorough probe to find out what caused the fire. The flight that had just taken off was carrying 174 passengers in total. After the fire-like sparks were noticed on the left engine on the plane, all the flyers were evacuated safely following emergency procedures.
“I was travelling with my wife and son. I was making a video of the city from the sky when I heard the sound of an explosion. I saw the wing light up. There were flames and sparks on the engine. After which, we were told through an announcement by the pilot we were returning to Kolkata as the plane had encountered a technical snag," said Nilanjan Das. Gourab Dey, another flyer,said the explosion was heard minutes after the plane took off at 10.36 pm, quoted by Times of India.
The airport authorities have also confirmed that the left engine of the IndiGo flight had failed, which led the officials to return to the airport. Though a flight can manage without one engine, losing an engine during take-off is difficult because it reduces thrust, which is crucial at that stage.
Also Read: Kolkata Rape-Murder Case: Ex-Principal Sandip Ghosh Says He Learned About Doctor’s Death 50 Minutes Later
Shortly after the engine failure, the pilot contacted Kolkata Air Traffic Control (ATC) at 10:38 pm. The plane landed at 10:53 pm and was parked at bay 15. "After the engine failure report, the runway was checked twice: first from 10:45 pm to 10:49 pm, and again from 10:58 pm to 11:01 pm, to look for any metal or debris from the engine. Nothing was found," the official said. The airline organised an alternative aircraft, which departed with 161 passengers at 2:28 am on Saturday. Thirteen passengers chose not to travel.